HH Chowk road design delay holds up Old Gurgaon metro plan

Gurgaon: Construction planning for the Old Gurgaon Metro corridor has been delayed as National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is yet to decide the final design of Hero Honda Chowk Road.The authority is evaluating three proposals for the 2.5-km stretch between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk, but an official decision has been held up amid differences among agencies. The delay has directly affected the design of the foot overbridge (FOB) at the proposed Sector 37 metro station, one of the key stations on the 28.5-km Old Gurgaon Metro corridor.The bridge height, according to an official, can only be finalised after NHAI approves the road alignment.

Depending on the final road design, the FOB will either be built at a height of six metres or nine metres. The uncertainty is slowing detailed engineering work for the metro station. Authorities are awaiting NHAI's decision so construction drawings can be finalised and work on the Old Gurgaon Metro corridor can progress without further delays.NHAI, which is executing the upgrade of the stretch on NH-352W, has submitted the three alternative proposals to Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

However, the final approval is still awaited, delaying the preparation of detailed engineering drawings for the metro station. "The final approval of GMDA on the proposals is still awaited. Consequently, the final road levels, plan and profile and the corresponding vertical clearance requirement at the proposed FOB location cannot be finalised at this stage," an official associated with the project said.Officials said the height of the FOB will depend entirely on the road configuration eventually approved.

If the existing road is widened, the bridge can be built with a six-metre clearance. However, if the elevated road proposal is approved, the FOB will require a minimum vertical clearance of nine metres.The uncertainty has stalled the structural design of the Sector 37 metro station. Among NHAI’s three alternatives, the first retains the existing approved scope by widening the road to six lanes with construction of a flyover only at Umang Bhardwaj Chowk.

The second proposes road widening along with an additional underpass at Khandsa Road and Old Khandsa Road. Under this option, the approach ramp of the Old Khandsa Road underpass would pass through the location earmarked for the proposed metro foot overbridge.

The third option envisages an elevated road along the entire stretch, requiring a higher clearance for the metro infrastructure.The final decision on the project rests with the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), as the corridor forms part of the Gurgaon-Pataudi-Rewari highway under NHAI.

Several proposals, including a double-decker structure, a separate elevated road and multiple underpasses, have been discussed over the years, but authorities have yet to reach a consensus.The proposal to upgrade the stretch has remained pending for nearly seven years. In 2019, GMDA planned to widen the road between Hero Honda Chowk and the Dwarka Expressway and construct a new flyover at Basai Chowk to ease congestion.

However, the plan for the Hero Honda Chowk-Umang Bhardwaj Chowk section could not move forward. In 2022, GMDA decided that NHAI would execute the project as a deposit work.Since then, the design has undergone multiple revisions. Gurgaon MP and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh has consistently advocated construction of an elevated road on the stretch. While NHAI was initially reluctant to adopt the elevated option, the approval of the Old Gurgaon Metro corridor and commencement of metro construction have made coordination between the two projects essential.Officials said the continued delay in finalising the road design is now directly affecting metro construction planning, particularly where both projects intersect.Despite the delay at Sector 37, construction on the Old Gurgaon Metro corridor is progressing on other stretches. Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation has awarded civil contracts for the first phase, and foundation work, utility shifting and piling activities are underway at multiple locations along the alignment.

Barricading and traffic diversions have also been implemented on several sections to facilitate construction.The elevated corridor, connecting Millennium City Centre with Cyber City through Old Gurgaon, will have 27 stations and is targeted for completion by 2029. Officials said civil work on unaffected stretches will continue, but finalisation of the Hero Honda Road design is critical to avoid delays in completing the Sector 37 station and its associated structures.