Gurugram industrialists urge NHAI to shelve U-turn plan on expressway

The NHAI’s plan for the elevated U-turn near Ambience Mall is already at an advance stage, and construction is likely to start later this year.

Industrialists of the city have appealed to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to review its plan for an elevated U-turn at Shankar Chowk, and requested the agency to build an underpass instead to separate the Delhi-bound traffic from the traffic heading towards Udyog Vihar.

The industry owners, on Thursday, sent a reminder to the NHAI to consider their proposal for a straight underpass on the Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway, so that the Delhi-bound traffic and the traffic headed for Udyog Vihar do not affect each other. (HT Picture for representation)

The NHAI’s plan for the elevated U-turn near Ambience Mall is already at an advance stage, and construction is likely to start later this year.

The industry owners, on Thursday, sent a reminder to the NHAI to consider their proposal for a straight underpass on the Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway, so that the Delhi-bound traffic and the traffic headed for Udyog Vihar do not affect each other.

A road leading from the Old Delhi Road via Udyog Vihar Phase-5 meets the National Highway at Shankar Chowk, making a T-point. This makes the junction a highly chaotic traffic point. The industry owners in their letter to the NHAI alleged that the consultant had a biased view while preparing the design of the elevated U-turn and the underpass.

“The consultant only thought of easing the traffic coming from the side of the Cyber City. Nearly 50,000 vehicles reach Udyog Vihar from the Old Delhi Road daily at Shankar Chowk. They cut across the Delhi-bound traffic and this makes for perennial chaos here. A straight underpass at this T-point would bring permanent relief for thousands of commuters,” said Raj Singla, an industry owner.

The industry owners claimed that the NHAI would not require to construct the elevated U-turn in case it builds the underpass.

Ashok Sharma, project director, Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, said, “The matter of underpass was placed before the board at the headquarters by the industry owners, but the proposal could not be accepted. Now tenders for the U-turn have been received by the NHAI from companies and the work is about to start.” The industry owners are once again meeting this Sunday to discuss the issue as a last-ditch effort to convince the NHAI.

The NHAI’s plan to provide for a crossover facility for commuters wanting to reach Ambience Mall, Cyber City and Iffco Chowk from the Udyog Vihar side is pending since the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway became operational in 2008. Commuters coming from Udyog Vihar are forced take an U-turn from the Rajokri flyover to reach Ambience Mall and the Cyber City.