Gurgaon: As congestion on NH8 and roads leading to IGI Airport only gets worse, agencies in the city are examining the possibility of extending a proposed Gurgaon-Delhi connector through Mahipalpur to Ghata Chowk on Southern Peripheral Road (SPR).The proposal was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, chaired by GMDA CEO PC Meena. Officials from Gurgaon Metro Rail Ltd, GMDA, NHAI’s consultant and other departments held discussions on proposals submitted by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to identify long-term traffic decongestion measures around IGI Airport and key Gurgaon corridors.NHAI has planned a 20-km six-lane corridor from AIIMS in Delhi to Gurgaon-Faridabad Road via Mahipalpur. Officials said the connectivity till Khushboo Chowk is already part of the proposed NHAI decongestion plan, and GMDA has now suggested studying its further extension till Ghata Chowk to create a wider bypass-like movement corridor for commuters travelling from south Delhi towards southern Gurgaon and Jaipur-bound routes without the need to enter NH8.A separate meeting with senior NHAI officials will be held soon to deliberate on the proposal, possible alignments and feasibility aspects, the GMDA official said.A senior GMDA official said, “The proposed connectivity till Khushboo Chowk is already under consideration by NHAI. GMDA has now requested NHAI to examine whether it can be extended further till Ghata Chowk so that the alternative route could function like a ring-road connectivity for through traffic, reducing dependence on NH8 and easing pressure on key bottlenecks near the airport. For instance, traffic coming from south Delhi towards Jaipur can access Delhi-Mumbai Expressway through the proposed Greater Southern Peripheral Road or SPR.”Officials said the idea is to reduce dependency on the heavily congested NH8 stretch near IGI Airport by creating alternative movement corridors for through traffic. “The objective is to reduce pressure on NH8 and improve dispersal of traffic coming from the Delhi side towards Gurgaon and Jaipur-bound routes without forcing vehicles to enter city bottlenecks,” the official added.Other proposals, including elevated corridors and a grade separator at Rezang La Chowk connecting Dwarka Expressway and NH8, were also discussed, though officials clarified that most suggestions remain at a preliminary conceptual stage and are yet to undergo detailed feasibility assessment.DIAL also presented proposals including extension of Dwarka Expressway till Mayapuri, extension of Barapullah Road from INA till Mahipalpur, extension of UER-II till Tughlakabad and construction of a bypass at Rangpuri. But GMDA officials clarified that these projects fall outside the authority’s jurisdiction.“The suggested alignment overlaps with the existing and proposed metro network. The metro agencies have been asked to study and examine whether such proposals are technically and practically feasible as a new metro line is passing through the stretch. Moreover, there is a planned metro corridor between Rezang La Chowk and Dwarka Sector 21,” the official added.
