NHAI to complete Gurugram-Pataudi highway by year-end

Gurugram: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Thursday said that work on the Gurugram-Pataudi highway is nearing completion and they would be able to complete the project by the end of December, which is the revised deadline for completion of the road.

NHAI officials said that only three obstacles are now left for the completion of the highway, which includes the shifting of four high tension power lines in the Wazirpur section, the demolition of a drain in the same stretch and one railway over bridge at Inchhapuri near Pataudi.

According to NHAI, the issue of shifting the power lines is being pursued with the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), and they have received the estimates for shifting these transmission lines. “The shifting is likely to take place within two to three months. The Wazirpur section also has a HSVP drain along the main carriageway near Dwarka expressway and this also needs to be demolished. We have also approached the railway authorities for permission to construct a road over bridge at Pataudi and the permission for the same is expected soon,” said a senior NHAI official.

The 46.1km-long highway project being developed by the NHAI will connect Gurugram city with Pataudi and Rewari. The project comprises 81 culverts, 23 vehicular underpasses, one railway over bridge, two flyovers among other structures. NHAI officials said that around 10 more structures were added later and were beyond the scope of work, which has led to delay in completion of the highway.

Senior NHAI official, Prakash Tiwari, said that the original deadline of this project was March 2023 but it got delayed due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, construction bans in winter every year, ban on construction over the issue of felling trees and large-scale change in scope of work. “We have completed 92.5 percent work as per the original contract but due to changes the scope of work increased. Currently, we have managed to finish 63 per cent work and most importantly all major obstacles such as removal of encroachments has been carried out. We will be able to finish this work by end of this year,” he said.

A senior GMDA official, when asked about the matter, said that they are closely working with the authority to get the obstacles resolved. “We are working to get the transmission lines and other encroachments removed,” he said.

The highway officials also said that they will get the stretch between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk inspected again and if there are any potholes and damage to road, these will be repaired on priority.