Gurgaon: Commuting on MG Road has become a travail of sorts for motorists — for nearly two months.A section of the stretch between Sukhrali flyover and Mahavir Chowk is dotted with potholes and damaged patches.The deteriorating road, coupled with accumulated water and sewage sludge along the roadside reducing the usable road space, slows the traffic and leads to frequent snarls, particularly during peak hours.MG Road is an important arterial corridor connecting Mahavir Chowk, Signature Towers and Iffco Chowk on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and carries heavy traffic throughout the day.The road also runs along the densely populated Sector 14 area and Industrial Development Colony (IDC), making it a key route for residents, office-goers and commercial traffic.Several portions of the road have developed deep potholes, with the condition particularly poor near Govt College for Girls in Sector 14, Patel Nagar and the DHBVN office.Residents said that people travelling towards Mahavir Chowk have to negotiate the same damaged portions every day.RWA president of Sector 14 Vikas Verma said, “There are potholes, water remains accumulated on the side and sewage sludge has taken up a considerable portion of the road. You have pedestrians, two-wheelers and cars all trying to use the same limited space. Naturally, traffic slows down.”GMDA said repair work has already been initiated on the stretch, with pothole-filling currently underway. However, a permanent solution will require the construction of a drainage network, as waterlogging remains a recurring issue on the road.A GMDA official said that the authority allotted the work for the upgradation of this road last month.The senior GMDA official said, “We are currently undertaking the reconstruction and upgradation of two major roads in Old Gurgaon — the stretch connecting Basai Chowk with Old Railway Road near Sadar bazaar and the stretch connecting Old Railway Road with IFFCO Chowk. The two projects cover a combined length of about 9.5km and are being executed at a total cost of Rs 52.5 crore. The Old Railway Road–IFFCO Chowk stretch is being reconstructed at a cost of Rs 25.4 crore, and under this, reconstruction of the carriageway, along with construction of stormwater drains and footpaths on both sides of the roads will be carried out. In the meantime, interim repairs are being carried out to improve the condition of the road.”Meanwhile, motorists are forced to slow down and manoeuvre around the craters, resulting in bottlenecks on the already busy stretch. With the usable portion of the carriageway shrinking, pedestrians and vehicles are being forced to share the limited space.Two-wheelers often have to move around potholes and sludge, while pedestrians are left with little room to walk safely.Residents said the combination of damaged carriageway, standing water and heavy traffic has made the daily commute increasingly difficult.Pothole repairs bring temporary relief, but dust becomes another problem. GMDA has started filling potholes along the stretch, providing some relief to commuters. However, residents said that the quick fixes don’t last for long and the repair material has also resulted in increased road dust, particularly as vehicles pass over the patches.Abhishek Rawat, a daily commuter and resident of Sector 15, told TOI, “The potholes were making it difficult to drive, while the authority has filled some of it, and now there is loose material and dust on the road. When vehicles pass, the dust gets kicked up, making visibility worse.”
