Gurgaon: As the first attempt to appoint a specialised agency for restoring the Hero Honda Chowk flyover failed to attract any bidders, NHAI is now reworking the project before inviting bids again. Instead of floating the same Rs 22.3-crore tender, the authority is revising the cost estimate, technical specifications and contract conditions.NHAI had invited bids in May this year for the restoration of the flyover, more than two years after a depression was detected on the elevated structure. However, despite extending the timeline twice, agencies still did not participate.According to NHAI officials, the project’s estimated cost and the specialised nature of the restoration work were among the factors that may have deterred agencies from participating in the bids.The revised proposal is expected to be ready within a week, after which it will be sent for approval before a fresh tender is floated.“Earlier, the tender was prepared on the basis of the initial estimate and technical specifications. However, we did not receive bids from specialised agencies,” an NHAI official said.The revised tender will also incorporate changes in the execution methodology and contract conditions, officials said. The aim is to engage an agency with experience in specialised bridge rehabilitation, the official added.“The flyover is structurally intact overall, but repair and rehabilitation work on the deck slab are required. Since this is a specialised bridge rehabilitation project, we are examining the work methodology and technical details and will incorporate these in the revised estimate. Once the agency is finalised, our target is to complete the restoration within about a month,” the official said.The restoration involves repairs and strengthening of damaged portions of the flyover. The scope includes work on the deck slab and bearings, along with measures such as grouting, strengthening and partial replacement of damaged sections, as recommended following a structural assessment.In May 2024, a nearly 20-metre section of the Gurgaon-Delhi carriageway developed a visible depression. NHAI barricaded the affected portion and restricted traffic on the damaged lane, which has remained cordoned off since then.The damage worsened by Dec 2024, when the affected portion developed into a cavity with reinforcement bars exposed. Further concrete chipped off in Jan last year, leaving iron rods visible and a hole in the deck.NHAI subsequently asked CSIR-Central Road Research Institute to conduct a structural audit of the flyover and the underpass at Hero Honda Chowk, both constructed by the same agency.In Oct last year, the audit found the flyover stable overall but identified weaknesses in parts of the deck slab and bearings. CRRI recommended grouting, strengthening and partial replacement of damaged sections. The recommendations were later examined by NHAI’s technical committee.The 1.4-km Hero Honda Chowk flyover was built at a cost of Rs 197 crore and opened in July 2017. It was sanctioned in Aug 2014 to ease congestion at the busy junction on NH-48.However, structural problems surfaced soon after its opening. In April 2018, a portion of concrete fell from the flyover, while a hole appeared on the same carriageway in May 2019. Following the incident, police registered a case on a complaint by RTI activist Ramesh Kumar, naming NHAI officials and representatives of agencies associated with the construction.Samples were sent for laboratory testing, and structural experts examined the flyover. The inquiry reportedly found substandard material in parts of the project, following which an NHAI committee recommended strengthening measures.The flyover was closed for nearly five months from Oct 2019 for deck-slab restoration and again for six days in Sept 2022 for span load testing.Commuters, however, question the prolonged delay in carrying out the necessary repair. “It has been more than two years since the damage to the flyover, but NHAI is not carrying out any repairs. Any further delay is putting the safety of motorists at risk,” said Sushant Jaiswal, a resident of Sector 86.
