Kherki Daula: NHAI and traffic police try to resolve issue of traffic at U-turns

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had written to the Gurugram traffic police in December 2019 that the issue of the two U-turns at Kherki Daula toll

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had written to the Gurugram traffic police in December 2019 that the issue of the two U-turns at Kherki Daula toll plaza be resolved as they cause congestion. This month, the traffic police responded with suggesting that the U-turns be shifted a bit closer to the toll plaza as their present location was not right.

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Himanshu Garg, DCP traffic, Gurugram, said, “We have responded to the letter and made certain requests of the NHAI.”

The traffic police have zeroed in on the issue—the U-turns are on an incline. “There is a level difference. The U-turns are on an incline, whereas they should be on the same level. Closer to the toll plaza, two roads—one coming from Jaipur and the other from Delhi—are on the same level and wider. We want to shift the U-turns closer to the Kherki Daula toll plaza,” he said.

The Gurugram traffic police said that toll authorities are not allowing that. Also, to decongest traffic at the toll plaza, they need the support of the NHAI. “Till now we haven’t received any response regarding this from the NHAI,” Garg said.

The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire, Millennium City Expressway Ltd (MCEPL) officials said that the idea was not viable. S Raghuraman, CEO, MCEPL, said, “The turns cannot be shifted from the present place as the toll plaza booths are there. If the U-turns are shifted near the booths, it will lead to more chaos and congestion on the toll plaza.”

However, NHAI officials said that the traffic police can experiment if they wanted. Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI Gurugram, highway administrator, said, “U-turns cannot be shifted near the toll plaza without the technical approval of NHAI headquarters, but the traffic police is delegated to conduct any experiment/ trial on their own in the interest of traffic safety and convenience with prior intimation to the NHAI.”

The highways authority wants a proper report from the traffic police on the U-turn experiment if the traffic police go ahead with it. “The traffic police should submit their report to the highway administration on how the experiment has taken place. Thereafter, the approval of the authority to make the tested arrangement final on the ground shall be pursued,” Sharma said.

The traffic police said that the U-turns could not be closed there have to be U-turns before a toll plaza starts. “Commuters who don’t want to go towards the toll plaza can take a U-turn and go back. The location of the U-turn should be sufficient distance away from the toll plaza. The current location of the U-turns is not good and authorities are not allowing us to move them closer to the toll plaza. We will make a decision accordingly,” Garg said.

The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire officials have said that the traffic police have told them that once the Hero Honda Chowk flyover (Jaipur-Delhi) side opens, they will ensure that commuters don’t drive on the wrong side around the U-turns. “The traffic police have assured us that once the Hero Honda Chowk flyover (Jaipur-Delhi) side becomes functional, they will ensure that commuters don’t drive on the wrong side around the U-turns at Kherki Daula toll plaza,” Raghuraman said.