CRRI begins structural audit of Hero Honda Chowk flyover
The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has commenced a structural audit of the Hero Honda Chowk flyover on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway.
In January this year, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) directed CRRI to conduct the audit and recommend permanent rectification measures after a section of the flyover was damaged, causing major traffic disruptions on the busy expressway.
The 1.4-km-long flyover, sanctioned in August 2014 and inaugurated in July 2017, has faced repeated structural failures. A chunk of concrete fell off in 2018, just a year after its opening. Further damages were reported in May 2019 and again in May 2024.
In 2019, local RTI activist Ramesh Kumar Yadav filed a complaint at Sector 37 police station, alleging the use of substandard materials in the flyover’s construction. The police registered an FIR and collected road surface samples for lab testing, which confirmed the allegations.
The flyover’s contractor, Valecha Engineering Limited, carried out repairs at the time. However, in May 2023, two officials from Indian Technocrat Limited (ITL), the supervising agency for the project, were arrested.
They were later released on bail after agreeing to join the investigation.
Following repeated failures, the NHAI previously appointed a three-member expert committee, which recommended hiring a specialised agency to assess the flyover’s structural integrity. Acting on this recommendation, NHAI engaged CRRI for a comprehensive structural audit and permanent corrective solutions.
Currently, three teams comprising eight engineers and experts are inspecting various sections of the flyover. Samples of construction materials have been collected from six locations and will be tested in CRRI laboratories. Additionally, the teams are reviewing the structural design of the flyover.
NHAI project manager Jitendra Kumar Yadav, site engineer Rakesh Meena, manager Harish Kumar, civil engineer Pawan Kumar and other officials concerned are assisting the CRRI team in the inspection.
According to NHAI officials, it will take at least two months for CRRI to complete the structural audit and submit its report.
