Genpact underpass opens to traffic for trials

GURUGRAM: The underpass at Genpact Chowk was opened for trial on Saturday, bringing relief to commuters who face snarls at the busy junction on Golf Course Road . The opening came two days after Huda and DLF signed a pact for sharing the cost of the underpass that’s part of 16-lane signal-free expressway.
TOI last week reported that absence of cost-sharing agreement had been holding up the opening of Genpact Chowk underpass that was completed six months back. The underpass — constructed at a cost of Rs 48 crore — was incorporated into 16-lane signal-free DLF-Huda expressway project at a latter stage. Six other underpasses on this high-speed corridor are already functional.

“While currently the underpass is open for trial, it will soon be fully functional,” said an official of Huda.

The Rs 595 crore expressway project was executed on cost sharing (50:50) between Huda and DLF. And with new agreement, Huda will have to pay Rs 24 crore to DLF for Genpact underpass.

The project received in-principal approval from Haryana government in 2008. Huda and DLF signed an agreement in September 2011 to construct the expressway on cost-sharing basis. Finally, work started in June 2012 and was expected to be completed in June 2015. But it was delayed due to several reasons — litigations, land issues, removal of obstacles and addition of certain elements like the underpass at Genpact Chowk at later stage. The deadline of the project has been extended five times and the current deadline is June 2018.