Gurugram industrialists press for shifting U-turn from Manesar toll plaza

Industry owners have been facing massive traffic jams because of a U-turn that facilitates lane changeover at Kherki Daula toll. This lane was created in February 2008, and is used by vehicles that have failed to pay toll.

With the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) yet to close the U-turn at Manesar toll plaza and provide an alternative U-turn at Hero Honda Chowk, chaos at this junction, which leaves all of Manesar choked, continues to be a cause of concern for industrialists and commuters.

Nearly 80,000 vehicles cross the Kherki toll daily. (HT/File Photo)

Industrialists, traffic police, and authorities of NHAI and highway concessionaire Millennium city Expressway Private Limited had held a meeting on June 6 in this regard. NHAI had then said they would shift the U-turn by the end of June.

“It is now more than two months and there is no sign of NHAI shifting the U-turn. The authority has ignored our plight. We have written to the NHAI and sought another meeting next week,” Manmohan Gaind, an industrialist, said.

Industry owners have been facing massive traffic jams because of a U-turn that facilitates lane changeover at Kherki Daula toll. This lane was created in February 2008, and is used by vehicles that have failed to pay toll.

Soon, villagers from Manesar, Khandsa, Kherki Daula, Badshahpur, Narsinghpur and vehicles of industrial units from Sector 34, 35, 37 cross the highway through the U-turn at Kherki Daula, and this point, has thus, become a cause for perennial traffic jam.

“The traffic police have to give us an approval for shifting of the U-turn. We have not received a go-ahead from them,” NHAI-Gurugram project director Ashok Sharma said.

However, assistant commissioner of police (highway) Hira Singh put the blame on NHAI saying, “The NHAI are yet to provide a dedicated U-turn at Hero Honda Chowk as discussed in the last meeting.”

S Raguraman, chief executive officer MCEPL, said, “We have raised the issue many a time with NHAI officials. We face tough time in managing traffic jam daily due to faulty U-turn.”