New Gurugram residents seek closure of Kherki Daula toll plaza

Sumedha Sharma

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Gurugram March 12

Elated over the inauguration of the Dwarka Expressway, which has reduced travel time to Delhi by almost 1.5 hours, over three lakh residents of New Gurugram or the sectors along it have now sought the removal of the Kherki Daula toll plaza and the development of aerial infrastructure.

Service roads to be built along e-way at Rs 99.5 cr

We have obtained approval for the construction of service roads along the Dwarka Expressway. The contract for the project will be awarded within a week and we will ensure that the work is completed within two years. The service roads will be constructed at a cost of Rs 99.5 crore on both sides of the expressway. — Arun Dhankhar, GMDA Chief Engineer

Residents say they were expecting an announcement of the toll plaza removal on Monday but were disappointed. They have, in a letter addressed to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), expressed their concern over the imposition of tolls at Dwarka Expressway, which will be a double blow to them. “The government and the NHAI should also ensure that the Kherki Daula toll plaza is shifted at the earliest. It will give a huge relief to residents of the city. The residents living along the expressway should also get a rebate in toll fees or monthly passes at reasonable prices should be made available to them,” said Pravin Malik, president of the United Association of New Gurugram.

The residents claimed that the toll plaza not only was a monetary burden, but also a key reason behind traffic congestion and vehicular pollution. It may be noted that the Haryana Government has, over the years, promised removal but the plan failed to take off.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had recently announced that the country was going in for a unified toll system which would ensure the removal of such toll plazas. In addition to this, the residents have also demanded the development of aerial infrastructure like service roads, the absence of which is reportedly defeating the benefits of the expressway.

Last week, the Haryana Government approved several key infrastructure projects across the state, which include the construction of service roads along the Dwarka Expressway and an elevated road connecting the Delhi-Agra highway to the DND-Faridabad bypass KMP link road. The committee, chaired by former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, sanctioned projects worth

Rs 2,352 crore across the state. Additionally, five projects in Gurugram, to be developed by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), were approved at a cost of Rs 200 crore, according to a government official.

GMDA Chief Engineer Arun Dhankhar said the construction of service roads along the Dwarka Expressway has been a top priority for the authority, as it would facilitate safe access to the expressway for residents living on both sides of the road. “Since we have obtained approval for the project, the contract will be awarded within a week, and we will ensure that the work is completed within the stipulated timeline of two years. The service roads will be constructed at a cost of Rs 99.5 crore on both sides of the expressway,” he added.