Gurgaon’s Rajiv Chowk underpasses to be built in three phases

A three-phase plan has been prepared for the construction of underpasses at Rajiv Chowk intersection on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway

A three-phase plan has been prepared for the construction of underpasses at Rajiv Chowk intersection, which remains perennially clogged, on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

Barricades set up at Rajiv Chowk. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The plan is aimed at ensuring that traffic at the intersection does not go haywire during the construction.

As part of the project, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is constructing three underpasses at Rajiv Chowk — two for traffic from Sohna Road to Old Gurgaon and another from Bakhtawar Singh Road in front of Tau Devi Lal Stadium to connect to Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

A senior official of Gawar Constructions, the contractor of the project, said in phase 1, the road will be extended on both sides of Sohna Road and Bakhtawar Singh Road. This is being done to ensure smooth traffic when the construction of underpasses start in the next phase.

The ramp work and trenching at the intersection will take place in the first phase. “To build the underpass at the junction, traffic has been diverted on both sides and the causeway has been barricaded,” the official said.

As per tentative plans, traffic towards Old Gurgaon and Delhi from Sohna Road will take an extended U-turn from Manesar side. Similarly, traffic from Old Gurgaon will take a left turn towards Delhi and an extended U-turn and move towards Sohna Road. If commuters from Delhi want to travel to Manesar, they will have to take a U-turn near the Air Force station.

Inspector Heera Singh, the traffic in-charge, Sohna Road, said, to prevent jams, the department is increasing the number of traffic personnel at the junction from six to 10. “We have also asked for an additional 50 marshals from the contractor to ensure smooth movement of vehicles,” he said.

Another step that the civic agencies need to take is removal of the large number of vendors obstructing traffic around Rajiv Chowk. “The civic agencies must rise to the occasion if they want to ensure a jam-free construction,” an NHAI official said.

The work on the underpasses at Rajiv Chowk has to be completed in 15 to 18 months as per directions of Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari.

In the second phase of construction, the ramp work for Bakhtawar road underpass will be taken up. Apart from that, slip roads along Rajiv Chowk will be connected in this phase.

Ramps for underpasses on both sides of Sohna Road will be built in the third phase, and all the main roads and slip roads will be connected in the final phase.

Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI, said the construction of the underpasses will be done in a planned manner, and in coordination with district police and administration to prevent any jams.

“There may be minor hiccups initially but things will become smooth in a week,” an official of Gawar Construction said.