Gurgaon: Commuters are set to face traffic disruption on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway for nearly two months from Tuesday.With GMDA beginning the construction of a major stormwater drainage network to tackle the recurring waterlogging problem in new sectors, the traffic police on Monday issued an advisory, announcing the closure of the service road from under Rampura Chowk flyover towards IMT Manesar from 6 am on Aug 18 to Oct 15.The closure is likely to affect traffic movement between Manesar, Rampura, Naurangpur and adjoining sectors, with heavy vehicles and other commuters being diverted through designated routes.A senior GMDA official said the closure would be implemented in phases rather than across the entire stretch at once to minimise the impact on traffic.“The work along the NH8 service road will be taken up in phases and the road will be closed section-wise. Initially, a stretch of around 200 metres will be closed, after which the closure will be extended as the work progresses. The drain along NH8 is approximately 4.5 km long and will be constructed in phases to minimise traffic disruption. The signage has already been installed. The initial stretch is expected to be taken up over the next two months,” the official said.The closure is part of GMDA’s Rs 105 crore, 18.3-km master stormwater drainage project for NH8 and sectors 76-80. The project, approved by govt in August last year, is aimed at addressing the long-standing waterlogging problem in the rapidly developing areas.Of the total network, 4.5 km of drain will be constructed along NH8, from Sector M1D in Manesar to Central Peripheral Road (CPR) junction. The drain will carry rainwater through gravity flow into the existing master stormwater drains along CPR and Northern Peripheral Road. The remaining 13.8 km is being constructed between sectors 76 and 80, creating a master drainage network for the newly developed sectors.The official added that around 32% of the work on the sectors 76-80 portion has been completed. “Work inside the sectors is progressing. We could not start the work along NH8 earlier due to the ongoing monsoon and delays in obtaining traffic police permissions, including during the kanwar yatra. Work on the NH8 stretch will now begin and will be executed in phases,” the official said.According to the traffic diversion plan, commuters travelling from Jaipur towards Delhi and Rampura have been advised to follow the existing designated route.Heavy vehicles heading towards Naurangpur will have to take a U-turn before Kherki Daula toll plaza and then proceed towards Naurangpur. They can also use Southern Peripheral Road and Shikohpur route on NH8.Those travelling from IMT Manesar towards Sector 85 will have to exit at Rampura and proceed towards Sector 85.Motorists travelling from Rampura towards Jaipur will have to use Sector 85 service road, take a U-turn before Kherki Daula and then continue towards Jaipur.Commuters travelling from Sector 85 towards Rampura or Naurangpur have been advised to use Rampura flyover.Those heading towards Tauru and Naurangpur can use DLF Privana-Kherki Daula toll route.“We have appealed to motorists to use only the designated routes, follow traffic regulations and remain patient during the construction period,” the traffic police spokesperson said, adding that commuters have been urged to follow on-ground directions and prioritise their own safety and that of other road users.At present, the surface drains along NH8, constructed by National Highways Authority of India, do not have an adequate disposal mechanism. During heavy rain, water accumulates on the service roads, disrupting traffic, damaging road surfaces and creating recurring bottlenecks, particularly around Rampura Chowk, Vatika Chowk and Manesar.The overall project has a completion timeline of 2028, though GMDA is hopeful of finishing the work earlier.Once completed, the network is expected to provide a dedicated drainage system for rainwater and reduce the recurring waterlogging that has become a major monsoon problem in the NH8 and sectors 76-80 belt.
