Noida's Gaur Chowk Underpass Nearing Completion, Set for June Opening
The 700-meter underpass running parallel to Taj Highway in Greater Noida West is on track to open by June, promising significant relief from traffic congestion at Gaur Chowk, one of the area's busiest intersections. Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) CEO Sumit Yadav announced that approximately 65% of the construction work has been finished, with the remaining tasks expected to wrap up in the next three to four months, ahead of the monsoon season.
Project Progress and Traffic Impact
In September of last year, the slab of the underpass was completed, allowing unrestricted traffic movement for vehicles traveling from Parthala Chowk to Gaur Chowk and onward to Ek Murti Chowk. Yadav emphasized that this milestone has already facilitated smoother flow, but the full opening will bring more substantial improvements. Currently, traffic has been diverted from the main carriageway to service lanes on both sides of Taj Highway, leading to heavy congestion during peak hours, especially as vehicles from Noida, Surajpur, Crossings Republik, and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway converge at Gaur Chowk.
Commuters have reported severe delays, with tailbacks extending up to the Parthala flyover during office rush hours. Rakesh Kumar, a local resident, noted that it can take nearly half an hour to cross the area during these times, as traffic from the three-lane carriageway is abruptly diverted into a service lane near Gaur Chowk. Amit Kumar, from Noida's Sector 121, added that the narrowed lanes struggle to handle the volume, causing long stretches of gridlock where even two-wheelers, autos, e-rickshaws, and food carts find it difficult to navigate.
Benefits of the Underpass
Once operational, the Rs 92-crore six-lane underpass will allow vehicles coming from or headed to Surajpur to bypass the daily bottlenecks at Gaur Chowk. It will connect Greater Noida directly with Gaur City and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway ahead, streamlining travel for thousands of daily commuters. This infrastructure project, which began in June 2024 with an initial timeline of 18 months, is poised to transform traffic dynamics in the region, reducing travel times and easing the strain on this critical junction dotted with housing societies and malls.
There are currently no curbs on Vikas Marg, which intersects the highway at this point, but the ongoing construction has made the junction challenging to navigate. Authorities are optimistic that the underpass's completion will alleviate these issues, providing a more efficient route and enhancing overall mobility in Greater Noida West.
