Gurgaon: NHAI on Monday stopped soil investigation being carried out by DLF for a proposed six-lane flyover between Ambience Mall and Cyber City. The move came after officials found that drilling was being carried out on the service road without the required permission.NHAI officials said permission had been granted to the agency for soil investigation, including bore logging, but it did not cover drilling on the main service road, particularly near the edge of a flyover’s retaining wall. Barricades and traffic diversions put up for the soil testing had slowed movement on the service road, with a queue extending towards the pedestrian underpass on the expressway.“Permission has been given for soil investigation. However, it should not be carried out on the main service road. Bore logging cannot be carried out there without first assessing the ground profile through ground-penetrating radar, as there are several underground utilities in the area. Bore logging can be done at suitable nearby locations, preferably on the green space. The work has been stopped for now,” an NHAI official said, adding that NHAI is issuing a letter to the agency.A DLF representative said they had obtained the necessary permission for the soil investigation. “We have taken permission for the soil investigation to check the soil and ground condition for the proposed flyover,” the official said.The stoppage comes amid concerns over underground utilities along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. Last month, a 30ft-wide sinkhole developed near IFFCO Chowk after a master sewer pipeline was damaged.DLF has in-principle approval for the proposed flyover, which is planned to provide direct connectivity from the Ambience Mall U-turn underpass towards Cyber City. The proposed six-lane structure would run above the existing four-lane service road, which would continue to carry traffic below. Ramps are also proposed to allow vehicles using the U-turn underpass to access the elevated corridor towards Cyber City and IFFCO Chowk.The project is intended to reduce conflicts between through traffic heading towards Cyber City and Udyog Vihar and vehicles emerging from the U-turn underpass and areas around Ambience Mall, Leela Hotel and Lagoon. Traffic pressure on the service road has also increased after the opening of DLF Downtown, with more commercial establishments coming up in the area.The design of the flyover has been prepared, and the project is expected to move forward after the necessary approvals are secured.
