GURUGRAM: Work on the Hero Honda Chowk
underpass is complete, according to the project contractor. If
NHAI gives it the go-ahead, the underpass can be opened immediately, the contractor said.
Madhusudhan Rao, project manager of Valecha Engineering Ltd, the contractor of the project, said: “All the canopy sheets were fixed two days ago. Everything at the underpass, from the roof to the LED lights, is done. We’re only waiting for NHAI’s approval to open the underpass.”
Some of the roof covers were blown during a storm earlier in the month.
TOI has learnt that NHAI is waiting for approval from the Union ministry of road transport and highways for the launch. Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI (Gurugram) said: “We are waiting for directions from headquarters. There are some small works which are pending and need to be completed.”
The underpass, which was conceptualised in 2007, will ease traffic movement to sectors 33-34, 9, 9A, 10 and 10A, and Sector 37 industrial area. In 2016, heavy rains had triggered a massive traffic jam at the Hero Honda crossing — one of the busiest on the expressway. Termed ‘Gurujam’, the situation had propelled concerned authorities to expedite the underpass project.
Ravinder Singh Yadav, team leader of Indian Technocrat Limited (ITL), the project consultant, said, “We are only beautifying the project site now, like putting flowering plants alongside the underpass.”
Earlier, the project got delayed due to multiple reasons. Among them was a plot on which a restaurant stood was coming in the way of construction of service roads. Two high-tension towers of 22kV and 66kV and a petrol pump were also hampering the construction of the underpass and service roads. All three hurdles have been removed.
“While the underpass itself is ready, we are in the process of building the service roads where Sugandha restaurant stood, which is adjacent to the underpass. These, too, will be completed soon,” Yadav said.
Officials also said the safety checks of the underpass were done by a third party 10 days ago, and they are waiting for its report.
