Gurgaon: Completion of the Gurgaon-Pataudi-Rewari highway has been delayed once again, with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) now targeting Sept this year to complete the remaining work. The 43-km project continues to face bottlenecks, including the shifting of high-tension transmission lines and completion of key structures along the corridor.One of the major hurdles is a 440kV transmission line passing over the main carriageway near Harsaru. An NHAI official said approvals for shifting the line have been obtained and the required charges paid to Delhi Transco Limited. Foundation work for relocating the transmission infrastructure is expected to begin within the next few days.Foundation work is also underway for shifting a 220kV transmission line belonging to the Bhakra Beas Management Board near Wazirpur. According to officials, relocating both transmission lines is necessary to clear the right of way and ensure the mandatory safety clearance over the highway.Construction of other components of the highway project is also progressing. At Pahari village, work on the rail overbridge has advanced, with girders cast and reinforced earth walls completed. The deck slab remains one of the major pending components. At Dwarka Expressway interchange, slab casting is underway for the unidirectional flyover being built as part of the project.Once operational, the highway is expected to improve connectivity between Gurgaon, southern Haryana and Rajasthan while easing pressure on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway. It will also provide an alternative route for industrial hubs such as Manesar, Bilaspur and Dharuhera, facilitating smoother movement of commuters and freight traffic.The project has missed multiple deadlines since construction began, with progress affected by utility-shifting issues, delayed approvals from the railways and the removal of a drain near Dwarka Expressway. NHAI has also cited constraints in the availability of bitumen due to the West Asia crisis as one of the factors affecting the pace of construction.The project was approved in 2018 to upgrade the existing two-lane state highway into a four-lane national highway to strengthen regional connectivity and cater to the rapid urbanisation of southwest Haryana. Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone in July 2020.The project, estimated to cost around Rs 900 crore, was initially scheduled for completion in Dec 2022. Construction, however, began only in Nov 2021 with a revised two-year timeline. Since then, utility-shifting hurdles and delays in obtaining statutory approvals have led to repeated extensions.The project suffered another setback in Sept 2022 after National Green Tribunal intervened following a petition by environmentalists over forest clearance and compensatory afforestation. The petition challenged the proposal to undertake compensatory plantation around 300 km away in Panchkula, arguing that it would not adequately offset the loss of green cover along the project corridor.In April 2024, Supreme Court allowed NHAI to resume construction but directed that compensatory afforestation be carried out within the city. Since then, work has also faced intermittent disruptions due to seasonal rainfall and winter construction restrictions imposed to curb air pollution, officials said.
