Greater Noida: Traffic woes at Char Murti, Shahberi Road may end soon

GREATER NOIDA: To offer relief from traffic congestion to daily commuters and residents at Greater Noida West’s Char Murti Chowk, and Shahberi Road, the Greater Noida authority is all set to commence construction of an underpass and exploring feasibility of building an elevated road respectively, officials said on Saturday.

The construction of the underpass at “Kisan Chowk” (Char Murti Chowk) has witnessed delays despite its announcement in 2022. The project was stalled due to procedural inefficiencies, delays in tender approvals, challenges in land acquisition, and budget reallocations.

Taking stock of the prevailing situation recently, NG Ravi Kumar, chief executive officer (CEO), Greater Noida authority, has issued directions to commence the underpass construction, officials said on Saturday.

“We are working on solutions to ease traffic congestion for residents of Greater Noida West who have faced traffic jams for a long time. The underpass at Char Murti Chowk is one such solution. We are also exploring options to ease the congestion at Shahberi Road. The project department has been directed to begin work on this at the earliest,” the CEO said.

Officials said that the underpass, designed to alleviate the perennial traffic bottlenecks at the junction, is expected to begin construction soon after necessary preparatory work, including shifting of utilities like sewer lines, electricity cables, and gas pipelines, as well as relocating trees.

“The underpass at Char Murti Chowk is a critical infrastructure project, and these activities (preparatory works) will be completed within the next three months before work on the underpass begins at Char Murti,” said Prerna Singh, additional chief executive officer.

“Traffic congestion at Char Murti Chowk has been a persistent problem for years, especially during peak hours. If the underpass construction starts on time, it will be a huge relief for all of us commuting daily,” said Shiv Kumar, a resident of Cherry County.

For the Shahberi Road, the CEO has directed the concerned departments to explore alternative solutions to ease traffic woes in the area. Officials said that the authority is collaborating with the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to study the feasibility of building an elevated road to reduce traffic jams at Shahberi.

“Traffic congestion at Shahberi Road is a daily challenge. We are working closely with CRRI to analyse the situation and explore the possibility of building an elevated road. This would greatly reduce the traffic jams for commuters travelling between Crossing Republic and Greater Noida West. The CRRI is expected to submit its report shortly, after which the authority will take further action. The elevated road, if approved, would provide relief to commuters,” Singh added.