Gurgaon: Illegal access cuts on Dwarka Expressway will soon be sealed with police assistance after repeated attempts by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were thwarted by protests from local residents. NHAI earlier attempted to block nearly 35 illegal access points along the expressway but suspended the exercise after facing resistance from residents.The move follows directions from Union road transport secretary V Umashankar, who has asked the Gurgaon deputy commissioner and Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to extend full administrative support to NHAI in closing the unauthorised openings.Officials maintain that the closures are critical to improving road safety and ensuring uninterrupted traffic flow on the high-speed corridor. The authority cited accident data to justify the action. According to the Gurgaon traffic police, 52 road accidents were reported on Dwarka Expressway in 2025, claiming 24 lives.The illegal openings are located near residential and commercial establishments, including Paras Society, Rajendra Park, Dwarka Colony, SN International School, Mahavir Estate, BPTP Amstoria in Sector 102, Basai Chowk, Vatika Sovereign Park, Ramprastha City, Assotech Blith, Signature Global Society, IMT Road, India World Mart, Parina Elite, DLF Corporate Greens, Krisumi, Max Estate, MVN Mall and several fuel stations and commercial establishments.Motorists are using these unauthorised cuts to enter the expressway service roads directly, bypassing designated entry and exit points, officials said. An NHAI official told TOI, “Vehicles are supposed to travel at 40 kmph on the service roads, but many exceed the speed limit. If a vehicle suddenly emerges from an illegal cut, the chances of a serious accident increase significantly.”Residents, however, continue to oppose the proposed closures, arguing that the expressway lacks adequate intermediate entry and exit points. Saurabh Sharma, a resident of Sector 102, told TOI, “Unlike the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, which had multiple access points between Ambience Mall and Kherki Daula, the Dwarka Expressway has very limited entry and exit options. Closing these openings will force residents to travel much longer distances for daily commuting.”While residents have demanded more planned access points, officials insist that eliminating unauthorised openings is essential for maintaining the safety and design standards of the access-controlled expressway.NHAI raised the issue with the ministry of road transport and highways, following which a review meeting chaired by the road transport secretary was held. During the meeting, the authority informed the ministry that local opposition prevented it from closing the illegal openings despite the availability of service roads along most stretches. Following the meeting, the secretary directed GMDA chief executive officer PC Meena and DC Uttam Singh to provide all necessary administrative and police support to NHAI, enabling the authority to seal the illegal access points without disruption.The closure drive also comes as GMDA continues work on dedicated service roads along the expressway. The civic agency is constructing 7.5-metre-wide service roads on both sides of Dwarka Expressway at a cost of about Rs 99 crore. The contract was awarded on March 15, 2024, for construction of 27.26 km of service roads.According to a progress report submitted by GMDA’s executive engineer, around 70% of the construction has been completed, while 45% of the contract amount has been released. The agency has set Sept 1 as the target for completing the service roads from the Gurgaon-Delhi border to Elan Mall in Sector 84. Land acquisition for the remaining stretch beyond Sector 84 has not yet begun.
