New push for key Delhi link to ease traffic gridlocks

Gurgaon: GMDA has renewed efforts to expedite long-pending road links connecting the city with Delhi’s Najafgarh area to provide alternative connectivity for residents of sectors 99 to 115 and commuters travelling to west Delhi.Last week, the metropolitan authority wrote to the Delhi govt seeking expeditious action on the widening and construction of the 75m road project, which has remained pending despite multiple rounds of discussions between the two sides over the last three years. The issue was under discussion since 2023 in meetings involving senior officials from Haryana and Delhi.In a communication dated May 6, GMDA CEO PC Meena wrote to Delhi’s director of local bodies Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, urging early action for developing the missing connectivity stretches.

The letter highlighted that the project would help decongest major arterial routes and provide a vital alternate connection between Gurgaon and west Delhi, particularly for residents dependent on daily cross-border commuting.The proposed connectivity stretches — around 1.3km between sectors 108 and 109 and another 381-metre link near sectors 114 and 115 — are aimed at improving direct access between Gurgaon and west Delhi.

This portion is a part of 4km link road, which connects sectors 108 and 109 to the toll plaza at Bajghera and criss-crosses through Haryana and Delhi. The Haryana portion of 2.5km is 75m wide road, but two sections fall under Delhi’s Raghopur.At present, the missing links force commuters to depend largely on other arterial routes such as Dwarka Expressway, where steep toll charges have become a concern for regular users, while NH8 continues to remain heavily overburdened, leading to long traffic snarls during peak hours.GMDA officials said the proposed links are crucial for easing traffic pressure on existing corridors and improving connectivity between new developing residential sectors along Dwarka Expressway and areas such as Najafgarh and Dwarka in west Delhi.A GMDA official said, “We are regularly following up with the Delhi administration regarding the missing connectivity links. While Haryana’s portion has a 75m-wide road, the small section passing through Delhi has remained a bottleneck.

The matter has already been taken up through official communication and discussions at senior levels. The objective is to expedite the process because this corridor is important for improving movement between Gurgaon and Delhi and reducing pressure on existing routes.

”Around 25 acres of land may be required for the project. Preliminary estimates peg land acquisition costs at over Rs 53 crore, while road construction expenditure is expected to cost another Rs 50 crore.Residents of the new sectors said the missing links have significantly impacted daily commuting towards west Delhi. “With occupancy increasing across Dwarka Expressway sectors, these links can provide much-needed relief to commuters. Delhi-Gurgaon alternate connectivity through Raghopur Road is crucial for daily commuters, especially due to high toll costs for school buses and taxis,” DXPGDA (Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association) deputy convenor Sunil Sareen told TOI. “Many elderly residents and women also prefer safer alternate routes instead of driving on high-speed expressways,” he added.The matter was also reviewed during a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi’s chief secretary in April 2024, where agencies discussed the need for alternate connectivity routes to decongest existing roads.A GMDA official said Delhi authorities were asked to initiate the land acquisition process and prepare cost estimates for the project. The issue surfaced again during an inter-agency coordination meeting held in Aug last year, but progress on the ground has remained slow.