GURUGRAM: The underpass at
Rajiv Chowk may have eased vehicular movement at the busy junction, but commuters to Civil hospital or district court in old Gurugram are facing the brunt of traffic snarls because of a bottleneck in the middle on Old Railway Road right after the end of the tunnel.
On Old Railway Road — one of the main arterial roads of the city — lies the Gurugram police commissioner’s office and the new PWD rest house. The problem on this road has been accentuated because of the traffic heading in and out of the district court and the mini-secretariat, which are on a side lane on the left of this road.
While a problem did exist in the area even previously, vehicles speeding through the underpass and coming from the Sohna side get stuck in a sudden bottle neck at a junction opposite the rest house. Further, commuters heading towards
Civil Lines area have also started taking the route from the nearby PWD rest house, adding another layer of traffic to the junction.
According to a lawyer at the Gurugram court, the traffic coming from the Badshapur side merges with the ones coming from other sides making it one of the worst choke points of the city.
Traffic officials concede the area has a real problem and needs some infrastructural changes, to ease the traffic on the stretch. “We are aware of the problem. If another lane is provided on both sides, then the traffic situation can be eased,” said ACP (traffic) Hira Singh.
According to cops, the traffic headed to the mini secretariat, district court and Vikas Sadan get delayed at the junction. The problem is particularly worse during morning and noon hours when people visiting public offices is at its peak.
They say that the work being carried out for the new district court is part of the reason that there is congestion in front of the district court and the slow moving traffic towards that side further complicates the situation.
Rajiv Sikand, a commuter who frequents the court, said that since the underpass opened, the traffic has gotten worse. “There is no red light in the cross-roads for traffic headed to the court and a newly opened right turn makes the situation even worse,” he said.
“Traffic problem in this stretch is particularly worrying since the road leads to Civil hospital where people go for medical emergencies. It is important that this stretch be cleared on priority,” said a road safety officer.
