Gurgaon: To streamline traffic movement and reduce congestion near Shankar Chowk and Cyber City, work on a new slip road and lane widening along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway has been undertaken. The project aims to improve access to the elevated U-turn near Cyber City and ease pressure on key bottlenecks on NH8.
Key Features of the Project
With the construction of the slip road, commuters from Udyog Vihar no longer need to travel to Iffco Chowk to take a U-turn, as direct access to the elevated U-turn is now available near Cyber City. At present, only motorists coming from the Delhi side or Ambience Mall side can use the elevated U-turn facility. Officials said the proposed slip road will bridge this gap by allowing smoother access for traffic approaching from Udyog Vihar and adjoining areas.
The work also includes widening of lanes near Cyber City so that vehicles from the Ambience Mall side can merge more seamlessly onto the NH8 service lane without creating bottlenecks near the elevated U-turn. The redesign is expected to reduce unnecessary weaving and long detours currently faced by commuters.
Implementation and Benefits
According to the traffic police, the changes are being carried out on the recommendation of the district road safety committee and with detailed road engineering teams to improve traffic circulation at one of the city's busiest junctions. The work is being executed by DLF under its corporate social responsibility initiative.
Traffic Inspector (Highway) Mahabir Singh said, "We are making efforts to improve the road geometry to ease access points and traffic movement around Shankar Chowk. The purpose is to streamline traffic flow and improve connectivity once the road work is complete. The slip road has already been constructed, and we expect the lane widening to be completed before monsoon."
Traffic Volume and Safety Concerns
At Shankar Chowk, around 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles pass through daily, with 20,000 to 25,000 pedestrians crossing. This junction is among the black spots on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. Last year, it witnessed seven accidents, resulting in three fatalities.
Traffic police are also planning a trial run to streamline traffic from Golf Course Road, Rao Gajraj Singh Marg, Iffco Chowk, and Shankar Chowk Road that converge at the junction. The stretch witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day due to the presence of Cyber City, Udyog Vihar, and multiple office complexes. With traffic converging from four directions, a bottleneck often forms near Shankar Chowk. The area already hosts the Cyber City rapid metro station, and the location is set to become even more complex with the upcoming Gurgaon Metro and RRTS, both expected to have stations here.
Pedestrian Infrastructure
Additionally, a foot overbridge is being constructed at this junction. However, there is a delay due to pending permission for two trees falling in the alignment of the structure. "Once completed, it would allow safer pedestrian crossing on the highway without disrupting traffic movement," Singh added.
