Gurgaon: In a bid to alleviate persistent traffic congestion near Subhash Chowk, a critical entry point to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, authorities are planning significant infrastructure modifications. The distance between the entry and exit points will be increased to reduce bottlenecks, and the service road along the carriageway will be widened from two lanes to three. Officials stated that nearly 20,000 vehicles use this stretch daily, making these upgrades essential for smoother traffic flow.
Sohna Road, one of Cyber City's major arterial routes and among its busiest stretches, frequently experiences bottlenecks. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) have jointly formulated a plan to decongest the corridor, aiming to reduce travel time for commuters and lower pollution levels.
Currently, the service lanes on both sides of the underpass are narrow, causing traffic to halt due to illegal parking and abrupt turns by vehicles. The revamp also includes the construction of footpaths and an improved drainage system to prevent waterlogging.
Commuters, particularly during peak hours, often find themselves stuck near Subhash Chowk. "It takes more than 15 to 20 minutes to cross the small stretch onto Sohna Road," said Vikash Malhotra, a resident of Sector 48. A blueprint has been prepared to redesign the entry and exit points at the Subhash Chowk underpass to eliminate congestion. This is expected to bring major relief to thousands of motorists who use the corridor and residents of housing societies along Sohna Road.
Commuters say the situation worsens during peak hours near the underpass. "Motorists get stuck in traffic jams daily between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. People traveling from Delhi to Jaipur and from old Gurgaon towards Sohna or Badshahpur get caught in jams stretching several kilometers every day," said Pradeep Yadav, a resident of Sector 49.
Due to the congestion, every vehicle spends an additional 20 to 35 minutes on the stretch, leading to the wastage of thousands of liters of fuel daily and significantly contributing to the city's pollution levels. To address these issues permanently, NHAI will launch a detailed technical survey in the coming days.
The biggest cause of the jam at Subhash Chowk, officials said, is vehicles getting entangled immediately after the underpass. "The distance between entry and exit points will be increased to eliminate the jam at Subhash Chowk underpass. In addition, the service road will also be widened. A plan has been prepared for this," said Yogesh Tilak, project officer at NHAI.
