Gurgaon's Highway of Peril: 700 Pedestrians Risk Lives Hourly at Deadly Crossing
Every hour, over 700 people undertake what feels less like a commute and more like a desperate gamble with death along National Highway 8 in Gurgaon. At a notorious stretch near the Binola Industrial Area, the daily journey for factory workers, delivery personnel, and daily wagers begins with a heart-stopping race across a relentless, high-speed corridor that has claimed multiple lives.
A Blackspot of Tragedy: 14 Fatalities Since 2024
Statistics paint a grim picture of this hazardous location. In 2024 and 2025 alone, 21 road users have been involved in accidents at this very spot, with 14 losing their lives. Among the victims were eight pedestrians, including five in the past year, who died simply trying to reach their workplaces or return home to their families.
"One of my drivers died last year while crossing here," recounted Satbir, a local transporter. "A foot overbridge was started but then slowed due to objections. There is an urgent need for this FOB."
Many of those risking their lives daily are employed at the sprawling warehouse of an e-commerce firm located directly across the highway. With no safe passage available, they have no choice but to navigate the deadly traffic flow.
The Unfinished Lifeline: Binola Foot Overbridge Project
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recognized the critical need for pedestrian safety and proposed constructing a foot overbridge (FOB) at Binola, considering the heavy pedestrian movement in this industrial hub. This FOB forms part of a larger Rs 282-crore NHAI initiative to build nine foot overbridges along a 59-kilometer stretch between Kherki Daula and Jaisinghpur Khera.
Other locations included in this safety project are:
- Shikohpur
- Manesar
- Rathiwas
- Malpura
- Jaisinghpur Khera
- Sidhrawali
- Kharkhara
- Khajuri
According to NHAI officials, "Construction of the FOB at Binola is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the end of April." However, until that completion date arrives, the dangerous crossing continues unabated.
Daily Dance with Danger: Workers Describe Their Ordeal
Each morning and evening, the same terrifying scene unfolds. Workers first climb over wide, open drains that separate the service road from the main carriageway. They then gather at the edge of the roaring highway, waiting anxiously for a break in the traffic that seems never to come.
"I hold my breath every day," confessed a local dhaba owner who witnesses the crossings. "We don't know who will survive the crossing."
The skeletal structure of the unfinished FOB stands as a daily reminder of delayed safety, its incomplete frame looming over the very danger it was meant to eliminate.
Landowner Objections Delay Critical Safety Infrastructure
Local residents report that construction on the FOB began over a year ago but slowed significantly after objections from a landowner adjacent to the proposed site. During construction, this property owner requested the structure be shifted to nearby vacant land, citing concerns about access to their property.
A detailed audit conducted earlier this year by the Traffic Engineering Centre (TEC) of Gurgaon traffic police found the original location to be both feasible and necessary. Engineers noted that a large number of pedestrians already cross at the exact point where the FOB is planned.
The audit revealed that the landowner retains access from two sides, including a 140-meter stretch sufficient for entry and exit. In contrast, shifting the FOB 35 meters away would cut off the only road access to the vacant land in question.
Multiple Hazards Compound the Risk
The TEC audit highlighted several dangerous factors that exacerbate the peril at this crossing:
- Open drains between the service road and main carriageway force pedestrians to climb over them before even reaching traffic
- Boarding and alighting occur directly on the highway, with 32 buses and 22 auto-rickshaws stopping every hour
- These vehicles handle approximately 276 passengers hourly, many of whom must then navigate the dangerous crossing
- Heavy vehicles occupy the minor road, shrinking usable space
- Sidewalks are blocked by parked vehicles and street vendors
A traffic police survey underscores the staggering scale of the crisis, confirming that 702 pedestrians cross every hour during peak times. This translates to hundreds of daily risks on a stretch that offers no safe alternative.
Personal Accounts of Tragedy and Urgent Calls for Action
"I am here for the past five years and have seen several people, mainly pedestrians, die while crossing the road," said Babu, a biryani seller who operates near the crossing. "Last year, three women of the same family died in front of my eyes. Many more will die if the bridge is delayed further."
The TEC has recommended several immediate measures to address the crisis:
- Construction of a dual-access FOB equipped with escalators
- Covering of open drains to eliminate that initial hazard
- Shifting boarding and alighting points to service roads
- Strict enforcement against encroachment and illegal parking
For now, as the sun rises and sets over NH8, the deadly crossing continues. Workers pause, judge the speeding traffic, and run across four lanes of relentless vehicles—sometimes with children in tow, sometimes burdened with bags, always under immense pressure. They hope against hope that they will make it across safely, even as the unfinished bridge meant to be their lifeline remains a promise unfulfilled.
