Sirhaul toll plaza underpass project: NHAI misses fourth deadline

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had earlier announced that the underpass at the Sirhaul toll plaza near Ambience Mall would be opened by 15 October. According to the officials, the project has missed its fourth deadline. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) originally set the deadline in September 2020, then July 2021 and 15th August 2021. The project work started on 5 March 2019, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on the project, which delayed the project. Officials told the media that some work is still pending, and the safety audit is ongoing. NHAI has planned to open the underpass by the end of October. The road surface has almost been completed, and the electrical infrastructure is still being fixed. The residents in Gurugram have been demanding the underpass for a very long time because it will help them avoid driving to Rajkot to get to Ambience Mall and DLF Phase 3. Officials said that the project work is almost completed, and they are carrying out a safety audit, which delayed the opening of the underpass. NHAI consultant Saurabh Singhal said that the safety audit would ensure all the safety measures and there is no hazard to commuters. It will take a few days to complete the audit, and the underpass will be opened to the public by the end of this month. The project was also delayed due to the non-availability of the labours during the Covid-19 lockdowns and the festive season. Only minor works are left, which will be completed in a week, an official said. The underpass is 377 metres in length, including the access roads, which is 1.5 km long. The width is 14 metres, and the vertical clearance of the tunnel is 5.5 metres. The speed at the underpass is set at 40 kmph. Image Source