Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, through video conferencing from Karnal, inaugurated the newly constructed U-turn Flyover near Shankar Chowk on the National Highway No. 48 in Gurugram on Sunday on the occasion of Haryana Day.
The Inauguration event was live-streamed through a large LED screen installed at Shankar Chowk.
According to NHAI's Project Director Shashi Bhushan, the 455-metre-long, three-lane flyover will facilitate the commuters from Cyber Hub side headed towards Udyog Vihar and Delhi. It will also reduce traffic jams at Shankar Chowk, DLF Cyber Hub and Udyog Vihar. The flyover will also help to reduce accidents on the National highway.
The estimated cost of the project was more than Rs 52 crore out of which 75 per cent is borne by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and 25 per cent by the state government.
Earlier, the U-turn under Shankar Chowk used to be choked during peak hours. Pedestrians at the spot face challenges to cross the Delhi-Jaipur expressway due to heavy traffic.
According to NHAI officials, to curb the traffic mess at Shankar Chowk, the state government has drawn up plans to construct a 3-lane U-turn flyover on National Highway near DLF Phase 2 and a four-lane U-turn underpass near Ambience Mall and they gets approval from the Centre and the state government as well.
The construction work of both the Shankar Chowk U-turn flyover and the Ambience underpass had commenced in March 2019 and were completed in a span of 18 months. However, the part of the Ambience underpass is yet to be completed.
"A part of this project, U-turn flyover near Shankar Chowk, has been prepared, which has been inaugurated by CM Khattar on Haryana Day. The construction work of the other U-turn underpass is also being constructed near Ambience Mall which is in the final stages and will be completed by end of January," said Bhushan.
The entire project is expected to cost Rs 122.16 crore, with the Ambience underpass being built at a cost of Rs 70.16 crore, of which 50 per cent is being shouldered by NHAI, and 25 per cent by private builders.
"The Ambience underpass U-turn will be a 377-metre-long project with four lanes, and will provide smooth travel from the direction of Shankar Chowk towards Ambience mall, easing the congestion at the Delhi-Gurugram border," he added.
Daily commuters expressed relief that they will no longer face traffic congestion at Shankar Chowk.
"I expect that with the opening of this flyover it will resolve the traffic jam problem at the stretch. It will help us to move one to cross expressway without hurdle," said Rohit Anand, who works in DLF Phase-2..
