Stuck since 2016, now moving: Haryana clears Rs 29 crore six-lane road project in New Gurugram

A road project that has been stuck in limbo since 2016 is finally moving. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has cleared a Rs 29 crore proposal to transform a narrow 2.4-km stretch in New Gurugram into a six-lane corridor, and construction is expected to get underway in the first week of August, once the contract is formally awarded, according to The Times of India.

The stretch in question runs between Naurangpur and Rampura Chowk on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, passing through Sectors 78, 79 and 80. Despite being one of the busiest connecting roads in the area, also used by traffic heading toward Tauru and Nuh along NH-8, it currently measures only around 5.5 metres at its widest, narrowing further in some sections. The result has been daily gridlock, longer travel times and growing safety concerns as residential development in the surrounding sectors has accelerated.

What the upgraded road will look like

The redesigned corridor will be built within an 84-metre right of way. The main carriageway will span 9.9 metres, with 5.5-metre service roads running along both sides. A central median, footpaths and surface drainage infrastructure will also be built in as part of the package, the last of these directly addressing a persistent waterlogging problem that has plagued the area.

The total project timeline is approximately two years from the start of construction.

An official quoted by TOI confirmed the approvals were in place. "The government has granted the financial approval for the project. We will now award the work to the agency. Once completed, the widened road will improve connectivity to the new sectors. At present, the road is narrow, with some stretches reducing to just five metres in width. It will now be developed into a six-lane corridor. The issue of waterlogging will also be addressed through the construction of surface drains," the official said.

Why it took nearly a decade

Landowners along the proposed alignment were compensated as far back as 2016, but the project went nowhere. Encroachments along the route and a series of administrative hurdles kept it frozen for years. Progress only resumed last year, after authorities cleared those encroachments and completed the demarcation of the right of way, removing the two obstacles that had stalled the project longest.

The High-Powered Purchase Works Committee gave the project its final green light at a meeting late Monday.

Residents respond

For those who have lived in the area throughout the delay, the approval has been a long time coming. Dhirender Singh, a resident of Mapsko Mount Ville, told Times of India, "The project has been pending for years. People have been allowed to move into these sectors, but the road was never upgraded, causing daily inconvenience."

"With more residential projects coming up, the road is in a very poor condition and sees heavy movement of dumpers, creating traffic and dust pollution. It is good that the work will finally begin, but the authorities must ensure it is completed within the stipulated timeline," Singh said.