Gurgaon: Eight months after the reconstruction was first announced, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation’s (HSIIDC) decision to float a tender for rebuilding a key 4km stretch on Pataudi Road has brought hope for thousands of commuters negotiating potholes, overflowing sewage and monsoon waterlogging every day.The corporation has invited bids to reconstruct the stretch between Umang Bharadwaj Chowk and the upcoming Global City near Dwarka Expressway — a critical entry route from the Delhi-Jaipur Highway that links sectors along the expressway, and the ambitious 1,000-acre township, with the rest of the city.The project promises a complete overhaul of one of the city’s most neglected arterial roads. “Besides rebuilding the carriageway, HSIIDC plans to widen the road wherever feasible and relay sewer and stormwater drains to address chronic flooding and sewage overflow that have plagued residents for years,” said an HSIIDC official.For citizens, relief is still some distance away. During a visit to the city in Feb, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini had directed officials to repair the road within 24 hours following public complaints. While temporary patchwork followed, commuters say the stretch quickly deteriorated again and it has taken nearly five months since that directive for a tender to materialise.“The corridor serves residents of sectors 9, 9A, 10, 10A, 36, 36B, 37 and 37B, besides industrial workers, commercial vehicles and traffic heading towards Dwarka Expressway. Once Global City is operational, the road is expected to become one of the township’s primary access routes,” said an HSIIDC official.According to HSIIDC, the project will be completed within one year of the contract being awarded, once the tender process concludes.Residents say the reconstruction is long overdue. “We only hope the work starts quickly and finishes on schedule,” said Amit Yadav, a resident of Sector 37B.“Driving on this stretch is like off-road driving. Vehicles are damaged regularly. For years the road was in this condition, but authorities paid no attention to it,” said Neha Sharma, who commutes from Sector 37 to Hero Honda Chowk.The reconstruction is expected to cut travel time, reduce vehicle damage and make the corridor safer through the monsoon, with proper stormwater and sewer infrastructure aimed at ending the flooding that has disrupted traffic every rainy season.
