Southern Peripheral Road – 3 Flyovers, 2 Underpasses to Make SPR Signal-Free

According to the officials of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) the construction of 3 flyovers & two underpasses will make the southern peripheral road (SPR) signal free. Further, the detailed project report (DPR) is finally ready & it would cost the state government around Rs. 230 Crore to construct these three flyovers & two underpasses. This is quite evident now that the ambitious plan of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to decongest Southern peripheral road is gaining momentum now.

The Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) is all set to get a makeover as three flyovers and two underpasses at major junctions will be built on the stretch. The project plan is prepared by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). A Detail Project Report (DPR) of the project has already been prepared. While the underpass at Vatika Chowk — one of SPR’s busiest junctions— will be developed by the National High-ways Authority of India (NHAI), the rest of the project will be executed by GMDA. Officials said the tenders will be allotted in the next month and the project work will begin by December, with a one-and-a-half-year deadline.

“In all, two underpasses and three flyovers will be developed on the stretch between Ghata crossing and Vatika Chowk. NHAI will develop the underpass at Vatika Chowk. The project will also include the widening and strengthening of the road,” said a senior GMDA official.

TOI recently reported that Haryana PWD minister Rao Narbir Singh had approached Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari for the development of the underpass at Vatika Chowk. “Around Rs 30 crore will be spent on the underpass at Vatika Chowk, whereas another Rs 200 crore is needed for the remaining project,” said the official. The money for the project will be sourced from external development charges that the department of town and country planning (DTCP) owes to GMDA, the official added.

SPR which was developed by HSVP and launched around two-and-a-half years back has become a major arterial road for the city, especially with the rampant development in sectors 58-77 that run along the peripheral road. It also sees heavy traffic between Gurgaon and Faridabad and has suffered immense damage in the past two years- According to officials, the road was getting much more pressure than it was actually designed for.

“While the road has been developed to bear a load of around 8 tonnes, it is currently witnessing around 34 tonnes of weight, leading to extensive damage,” said another official. Additionally, many of the junctions on the stretch, especially Vatika Chowk, faces regular traffic jams and snarls as it gets traffic from four different sides.

The project for the SPR up-grade has been in the pipeline for a while and it was tabled in the GMDA meeting in March earlier this year and eventually approved by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The main points to be revamped include, the stretch from the Delhi-Jaipur Road to Vatika Chowk and the ensuing distance from Vatika Chowk to Ghata village in Sectors 55-56. According to traffic surveys conducted by the GMDA, over 3,600 vehicles use this stretch every hour, putting it high on the GMDA’S priority.

In addition, the SPR is set to get two underpasses, one at Vatika Chowk and the other at the Sector 55-56 intersection. There are also plans for three flyovers to ease traffic congestion at Rajesh Pilot Chowk, Tigra Mod, and the four-lane intersection between Sectors 49-50 and 65-66. The estimated cost of the projects will be around Rs 281.86 crore. These developments are part of the GMDA’S larger plans to turn the SPR into an arterial road and ease the flow of traffic on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway.

“The flyover and underpass would bring relief to tens of lakhs of commuters who struggle currently through unending traffic jams on the stretch which traffic cops find difficult to manage,” said a GMDA official. Recently, a meeting was held between the multiple departments to demarcate land for construction of a cloverleaf to connect the SPR with the Dwarka Expressway. “The project will help the development of both residential and commercial real estate projects along the SPR. The areas to benefit from this include commercial sectors.

A senior member of the GMDA said, “The idea here is to develop both the SPR and NPR (Northern Peripheral Expressway, also known as Dwarka Expressway) cumulatively. The development works in these areas have delayed for long due to the lack of basic infrastructure.”

News Source: Timesgroup