Officials say that while it currently takes approximately one hour to travel from Atul Kataria Chowk to IGI Airport during peak traffic, the new flyover could cut this down to a mere 15 minutes.
Gurugram: A meeting between Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) officials has resulted in the proposal that a 5 km flyover is built on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road to ease congestion and streamline traffic flow towards Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
The planned flyover, stretching from Atul Kataria Chowk to Samalka in Delhi, aims to segregate airport-bound vehicles from those traveling to other areas of Delhi. This segregation is expected to alleviate congestion on this frequently jammed road and substantially decrease travel times for both daily commuters and air travelers. Officials have stated that while it currently takes approximately one hour to travel from Atul Kataria Chowk to IGI Airport during peak traffic, the new flyover could cut this down to a mere 15 minutes.
The discussions on the project are in the initial stages and a final decision is yet to be made.
“We had preliminary discussions earlier this week on how we can improve traffic flow between Gurgaon and the airport. Since NH-8 is the primary route and witnesses heavy traffic flow, there is a need to improve other connecting routes. The agency has submitted its recommendations, and we have also shared our suggestions so that the finer details can be ironed out and a decision made. Many things need to be considered before we can go ahead with the plan — RRTS and Gurugram metro corridors will come up in the vicinity, and feedback from other stakeholders will also have to be taken into consideration,” a senior GMDA official said.
The 5km-long, six-lane flyover will provide a dedicated elevated corridor for airport-bound traffic, thus streamlining overall traffic flow on Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road. At present, travel on the road is rather slow due to various factors.
The study commissioned by DIAL observed that Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road faces snarls due to the absence of other link roads to the Dwarka Expressway and suggested developing sub-arterial roads to enhance connectivity. For this, it also proposed a four-lane flyover at Rezang La Chowk with a length of 3.2 km.
The study has also proposed short, mid, and long-term plans to ease jams on the airport route from Gurgaon.
NH-8, the main route connecting Gurgaon to IGI and Delhi, faces significant congestion with severe delays during peak hours between Ambience Mall and Shankar Vihar, the study said suggesting road geometry improvements from Ambience Mall to Shankar Vihar and realignment of lanes near MCD Toll Plaza.