Gurgaon residents demand short-term solutions for ‘permanent’ jams, consider relocating

Locals want the road to have one-way traffic; also suggest creating diversions at HUDA City centre

The Sohna Road is one of the busiest roads in the city and has been developed time and again by various agencies to be able to sustain the volume of traffic. However, even after a decade of expansions, the road remains choked at Vatika Chowk.

Residents say deploying traffic personnel at Vatika Chowk does not help as they can’t do anything more than streamline vehicular movement. (Parveen Kumar/HT photo)

The intersection is a congested point as it leads to Rajiv Chowk and the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR). The junction also carries traffic heading towards Alwar and Mewat and is presently dug up by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) for construction.

For residents, the permanence of jams at the intersection is forcing many of them to consider relocating.

Harsh Mehta, a resident of Tatvam Villas, is among those who have given up on the authorities’ promises of “relief” and are relocating. “I came here when there was nothing around. Then realty sector picked up and I started regretting the decision as traffic increased. I understand that there are road projects in the pipeline to streamline movement at Vatika Chowk, but this will take time; I need immediate relief. Hence, I am in the process of relocating,” he said.

The stretch, which was initially with the Huda, was transferred to the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2012. In 2015, the PWD transferred it to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Sohna Road became NH-248.

To decongest the strategic stretch, the NHAI has now conceptualised an elevated corridor from Vatika Chowk to Badshapur. It has also proposed an underpass at this junction.

Residents, however, have lost hope as they see no relief in sight. They say the situation is beyond traffic police’s control as well.

“The traffic volume is much more than the capacity of the junction. Instead of road projects, authorities should look at immediate solutions, such as one-way traffic or blocking off select paths or by creating diversions at HUDA City centre as a short-term solution,” Devlina Ghosh, a resident of Malibu Town, said.