Hamilton Court, Vyapar Kendra roads to be upgraded to six lanes

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Tuesday said it plans to redevelop and upgrade two key master sector roads, which connect to the Golf Course Road and witness significant traffic movement.

The proposal was discussed in the 59th core planning cell meeting on Tuesday and it was decided that the master sector road between Sector 27 and Sector 28 (Hamilton Court Road) and master sector road between Sector 28 and Sector 42 (Vyapar Kendra Road) will be upgraded.

The authority will now seek suggestions from the residents regarding the proposal, before taking it forward.

The Hamilton Court Road and Vyapar Kendra Road run parallel and are 2.1km in length. Presently, both these roads have four lanes and the traffic flows in one direction. These roads are connected by Golf Course Road in the eastern direction, and on the western side by the MG Road to Huda City Centre road.

Under the new proposal, both these roads, which are presently 15 metres wide (four lanes), will be expanded to 18 metres with six lanes, and traffic movement will be made bidirectional. The roads will also have a central verge and the authority also plans to provide infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, besides service roads.

A senior GMDA official said 1.8m wide uninterrupted footpaths will be constructed along the roads. These roads will also have 2.5m wide uninterrupted cycle track and 5.5m wide service roads on either side. There will be U-turns and table-top crossings. The existing streetlights will be converted to solar lights, the official said.

According to the proposal, stormwater drains will also be constructed, besides increasing the green cover. To that end, the authority will plant 1,250 trees on Hamilton Road and also build a parking space with a capacity to accommodate 533 four-wheelers, said GMDA officials.

On the Vyapar Kendra Road, the plan is to plant 1,452 trees, and create parking for around 650 cars apart from installation of garden furniture.

“Redevelopment work on these roads is under planning to make them congestion free and improve the commuting experience of residents. Enhancement of all major components such as the main carriageway, service roads, cycle tracks, footpaths, parking spots, green belt, etc., is being taken up for holistic development of these two roads. We invite the views and inputs of citizens on this project,” Sudhir Rajpal, CEO, GMDA, said.

The proposed road expansions have been welcomed by residents and business owners, who said two-way traffic will greatly ease the movement of vehicles and people will no longer have to travel a long distance to reach their destinations.

Dr AK Nagpal, a resident of Sushant Lok 1, said the proposal was welcome but must be executed at the earliest. “If we have to reach Huda Metro station, we have to go via Galleria Market. Presently, service road towards the Metro station is not functional. The two way traffic will help us greatly,” he said.

Road and infra experts said expansion of the roads, and provision of service lanes will ensure that there are minimum conflict points, and also avoid unnecessary traffic load on these sector roads.

Professor Sewa Ram, a transportation expert from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, said the expansion of these roads with provision for pedestrians and cycle tracks is welcome. “The authority should conduct a detailed traffic study and appropriate interventions must be introduced. The access from service roads must be given in a proper manner so that traffic movement is safe and smooth,” he said.

A few residents were also critical of the plan, and said authorities must visit the area before developing these plans. “There is heavy encroachment on Vayapr Kendra Road. Where is the space to expand these two roads? Recently, an attempt was made to expand the Hamilton Court Road partially for the G20 event but it has not proved successful. It is highly unlikely that this plan will succeed,” Anil Yadav, village chief, Chaklarpur, said.

Business owners in Galleria Market however said this project would benefit them. “The proposal is very good and will benefit everyone. There is need for better amenities on these roads and two way traffic will help people commute with ease,” a shop owner in the market said.