Jams likely as e-way underpass work to begin
TNN | Feb 3, 2019, 07:11 IST
Representative imageGURUGRAM: The spectre of traffic jams will loom over the Delhi-Gurugram border from Monday as men and machinery are deployed on the expressway to start digging for a U-turn underpass that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is building there and a U-turn flyover further down at Shankar Chowk.
The road will be barricaded in phases and a traffic diversion plan has been worked out but any narrowing of the 32-lane stretch at the Sirhaul border is bound to trigger a bottleneck there because of the sheer volume of traffic that passes through the route in the morning and evening.
Gurugram traffic police approved NHAI’s diversion plan on January 17 but has set certain conditions. Hira Singh, ACP (traffic), said: “We have asked NHAI to put reflective tapes wherever they put up jersey barriers. Signage needs to be put up on the expressway too.”
The phase-wise construction and traffic diversion plan was reported by TOI in its January 17 edition. Lanes of the expressway will be blocked in stages. The digging work will begin from the centre of the expressway and move outwards.
“In the initial stage, we will make a box portion in the middle and then move out to the two sides,” said an official from Ram Kumar Contractor, which is making the underpass. “In the second phase, 16 lanes will be occupied, 8 lanes (Delhi-Gurugram side) and 8 lanes (Gurugram-Delhi side). We have made this traffic plan in consultation with Gurugram traffic police and we are sure jams on this route will not happen during construction,” the official added.
But Gurugram traffic police is not so sure. “With some portion of the carriageway taken away for construction, there will be some issues,” said an officer. S Raghuraman, CEO of expressway concessionaire MCEPL, was more forthcoming and warned of long jams. “With work starting on the underpass, commuters will have to brace for an hour-long jam at least,” he said. But while work on the underpass and U-turn flyover will begin simultaneously, police said they have received no traffic plan for Shankar Chowk.
The road will be barricaded in phases and a traffic diversion plan has been worked out but any narrowing of the 32-lane stretch at the Sirhaul border is bound to trigger a bottleneck there because of the sheer volume of traffic that passes through the route in the morning and evening.
Gurugram traffic police approved NHAI’s diversion plan on January 17 but has set certain conditions. Hira Singh, ACP (traffic), said: “We have asked NHAI to put reflective tapes wherever they put up jersey barriers. Signage needs to be put up on the expressway too.”
The phase-wise construction and traffic diversion plan was reported by TOI in its January 17 edition. Lanes of the expressway will be blocked in stages. The digging work will begin from the centre of the expressway and move outwards.
“In the initial stage, we will make a box portion in the middle and then move out to the two sides,” said an official from Ram Kumar Contractor, which is making the underpass. “In the second phase, 16 lanes will be occupied, 8 lanes (Delhi-Gurugram side) and 8 lanes (Gurugram-Delhi side). We have made this traffic plan in consultation with Gurugram traffic police and we are sure jams on this route will not happen during construction,” the official added.
But Gurugram traffic police is not so sure. “With some portion of the carriageway taken away for construction, there will be some issues,” said an officer. S Raghuraman, CEO of expressway concessionaire MCEPL, was more forthcoming and warned of long jams. “With work starting on the underpass, commuters will have to brace for an hour-long jam at least,” he said. But while work on the underpass and U-turn flyover will begin simultaneously, police said they have received no traffic plan for Shankar Chowk.
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