Gurugram: Traffic police to close two exits near Shankar Chowk next month

The Gurugram traffic police has decided to close the exits -- known as a “cut” in local parlance -- leading towards Jaipur from Udyog Vihar on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway next month, on a trial basis, and divert such commuters to the Ambience Mall underpass.

There are two exits between Udyog Vihar and Jaipur and both are located below the Shankar Chowk flyover, where traffic coming from Cyber City, Udyog Vihar, and the service lanes of the expressway converge.

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav has issued these directions to Gurugram traffic police.

“During a recently concluded district road safety meeting, the matter of increasing vehicular pressure on Shankar Chowk was brought to my notice. After assessment, and in consultation with all relevant agencies and road safety officers, Gurugram traffic police has been directed to close the exits leading towards Jaipur from Udyog Vihar at the earliest and instead divert these commuters towards the Ambience Mall underpass,” said Yadav.

The traffic converging from three directions causes severe congestion and chaos at the intersection during peak hours and the backlog often stretches till the main carriageway of the highway, towards Delhi.

After closing the exits, commuters from Udyog Vihar will have no other option but to take the Ambience Mall underpass, which opened last October, to head towards the city.

But that would also mean that commuters will have to drive an extra four kilometres at least to head towards their respective destinations.

“Closing the exits will prevent the converging of traffic from three directions and improve traffic management at Shankar Chowk. We are aiming to start the trial within the next 10-15 days. We will first close the exits with jersey barriers and station our marshals at the spot to direct commuters towards the Ambience Mall underpass. Depending on its success, and after commuters are familiar with the changes, we take a call on making it a permanent closure,” said Ravinder Singh Tomar, DCP (traffic), Gurugram police.

On December 28 last year, then deputy commissioner Yash Garg and Gurugram traffic police had together carried out a spot check at Shankar Chowk and concluded that closing the exits towards Jaipur would improve traffic management at that intersection.

Dhruv Singla, a resident of DLF Phase 1, said, “The Gurugram traffic police should ensure that the trial continues till the end of the monsoon season and only then make any permanent changes. In the interim, they will have a better idea of whether drainage at the underpass is an issue. If the underpass is inundated by rains, they can reopen the Shankar Chowk exits, and ensure that vehicles from Udyog Vihar have a way to reach Jaipur.”