Residents of new sectors are now eagerly waiting for the completion of the much-awaited and delayed Dwarka Expressway. However, the redevelopment plan of the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) has yet to take off even after four years of planning.
Once this new expressway becomes operational, the traffic load on SPR road is expected to increase further. How? It is going to connect Dwarka Expressway and NH-8 to Ghata village as well as Faridabad and Delhi. The traffic on this road has also increased in the last year, as the real estate sector has seen a massive boom with tons of residential societies along the stretch occupied and many new ones are coming up in the future.
The opening of the Gurgaon section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has also added to the load. Dhirender Singh, one of the residents of Mapsko Mount Ville, commented that major repairs are being undertaken on the pothole-riddle SPR to avoid accidents for commuters coming from the expressway. The failure of proper and permanent repair on this vital stretch turned the boy into a safety hazard for the drivers. Several accidents have already happened in the severe traffic congestion that has already been reported like indiscriminate parking of trucks and lack of streetlights have exacerbated the problem.
This first came to the limelight in 2019, there are tons of redevelopments of SPR that have been prepared over the years, from repairing the entire stretch to building underpasses. The most recently proposed the construction of the right flyover and widening the carriageway to six lanes and service roads to three lanes at a cost of rs 845.5 crore.
Moreover, when it comes to the requirement for building three flyovers on the Vatika Chowk-NH-8 stretch of SPR due to the low traffic volume. In fact, last month, the chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar who heads GMDA also directed senior officials to recall the tender for the project and prepare a new plan with a modified design.
The officials also asked to explore the possibility of building an elevated road for direct connectivity between the Sohna Elevated Road (as a part of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Project) and Central Peripheral Road (which is also a part of the Dwarka Expressway project).
Rahul Dahiya, general secretary of Ireo Skyon RWA, commented that the government has also made a mockery of SPR’s redevelopment with tons of proposals over the years but nothing has been concrete so far. The redevelopment of SPR has been since 2019 but it has also remained on paper and nothing has been done on the ground. It is also appalling that GMDA, which has been able to make up its mind and always come up with excuses for not doing anything, now commuters also suffer due to the poor condition of the road. Moreover, the traffic will also add to their woes.
There is tons of chaos on SPR due to numerous potholes and more traffic has added to the suffering. There are no new steps which have been taken by authorities to handle the increase or traffic. In fact, the sheer oversight on the part of GMDA in planning for the surge could mean longer daily commutes for many, said Neehar Ranjan, president of Astaire Gardens RWA.
In fact, the senior GMDA official also commented that the company has prepared a rough estimate for special repairs to the road. This is also going to offer immediate relief to commuters, we have prepared a rough estimate to carry out special repairs. The DPR for the stretch from Ghanta Village to Batika Chowk. It also includes the construction of five flyovers, which are also going to be approved and have also been taken up in the first phase. This plan is also going to Vatika Chowk – NH-8 stretch will be examined and revised. This plan is also for Vatika Chowk, NH-8 stretch which will be examined and revised for which a consultation will be engaged, as per the officials.
