Steep curve, slope put lives at risk on Gurgaon-Faridabad Road

The steep turn and sloping road on Gurgaon-Faridabad expressway near Ghatta village in Sector 55, which has witnessed about 100 fatal accidents in the last two years, has become a cause of concern for commuters and authorities.

The steep turn and sloping road on Gurgaon-Faridabad expressway near Ghatta village in Sector 55, which has witnessed about 100 fatal accidents in the last two years, has become a cause of concern for commuters and authorities.

The Gurgaon-Faridabad road is one of the major links between the two cities. (Abhinav Saha/HT photo)

The stretch is also notorious for carjacking cases. According to police data, half a dozen carjacking cases have been reported from this stretch in the last 10 months.

Gurgaon-Faridabad road is one of the major links between the two cities. It is regularly used by motorists coming from and going towards Faridabad as it extends to south Gurgaon, Manesar, Dharuhera, Sohna Road and NH-8.

The lack of adequate policing coupled with bad lighting and flawed design makes the stretch prone to accidents and crimes.

“The stretch is an example of flawed engineering. The plan should not have been approved in the first place,” a Haryana urban development authority (Huda) official said on condition of anonymity.

People who are not frequent commuters on the road are unaware of the steep turn and slope, increasing the risk of accidents.

Suchender Choudhary, a daily commuter, said, “Poor lighting is a major security hazard for commuters. There is an urgent need to ensure that this stretch has proper lighting.”

Most of the accidents on the stretch leave vehicles damaged beyond repair. With winter setting in, fog is likely to increase the number of accidents.

Another daily commuter, Mukesh Chauhan, said, “While the motor vehicles still have effective headlights, it is the cyclists and pedestrians who suffer in the absence of proper lighting on service lanes.”

The road is also slightly elevated and vehicles have gone off course in the past, crashing into courtyards of houses near the road. Children are not allowed to play in courtyards adjoining the road, residents said.

Deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) Balbir Singh said, “We have written to Huda regarding the poor lighting, signages and dividers on the stretch. Our teams are deployed in the area on special duty at night and we patrol the area during the day as well.”