Traffic lights, footpaths: Revamp soon for IMT Manesar Chowk

GURGAON: An accident prone spot on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, the IMT Manesar intersection is getting new traffic signals, street lights and a design revamp to make it more pedestrian-friendly and safer for cyclists.
The redevelopment work, set to begin on Friday, will be carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Manesar and the National Highways Authority of India.
It will take three months to complete, officials said on Thursday.
On average, around 3,700 commuters and 300-500 pedestrians cross the intersection during rush hours daily.
But the chowk is prone to accidents. According to traffic police data between 2019 and 2022, there were 15 fatalities, 6 cases of serious injuries and 2 cases of minor injuries in accidents. Every year, five people die in road accidents at the intersection.
“The redesign is aimed at making this junction safe for pedestrians as well as cyclists. Traffic signals will be installed for smooth management of traffic flow,” said Naveen Dhankar, executive engineer of the Manesar Municipal Corporation (MCM).
DCP (traffic) Virender Singh Sangwan said that apart from installation of traffic signals, there will be geometric correction of roads for pedestrian movement. Street lights, rumble strips to slow down traffic, a continuous footpath, proper signage, and road studs will be put up for making the chowk safer.
There will also be bollards for segregating the pedestrian and vehicular paths, hazard-markers and convex mirrors for wide angle view.
“An advisory has been issued to inform people about the work to be started at IMT Manesar Chowk. It may cause some inconvenience to commuters for a few weeks,” the DCP said.
IMT Manesar is a staggered junction (where several roads meet at a distance apart instead of all coming together at the same point) and currently does not have any devices/accessories to slow down traffic. There are six accident-prone spots at the intersection, mostly due to wide road openings and undesignated lanes.
The redesign has been planned by Rahagiri Foundation, and approved by MCM and NHAI.
The project is funded by Honda under the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.