Gurgaon: Conventional long ramps and escalators that define most overbridge pedestrian crossings on NH8 will go.Foot overbridges along Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway are set for a design overhaul, with NHAI opting for lift-based access instead of long ramps and escalators. NHAI officials said that new foot overbridges will be constructed with lifts and staircases as the mode of access. The move comes after repeated instances of ramps being misused by two-wheelers, leading to structural damage and escalators turning defunct due to theft, vandalism and poor upkeep.The redesign of foot overbridges comes alongside the dismantling of the foot overbridges required at the three major junctions along the expressway — IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower and Rajeev Chowk — for upcoming infrastructure projects.The foot overbridges at IFFCO Chowk and Signature Tower will be removed for construction of the proposed Delhi-Gurgaon-Bawal RRTS corridor by National Capital Region Transport Corporation along NH8.At Rajeev Chowk, the existing foot overbridges will be dismantled for the construction of a proposed interchange for Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway with the Sohna elevated corridor, aimed at easing congestion. The interchange project will be taken up by NHAI.Earlier, NCRTC sought a no-objection certificate (NOC) from NHAI for executing the corridor work on the highway stretch. The two footbridges will be reconstructed later by NCRTC with a revised design, the NHAI officials said.“Ramps are frequently misused by two-wheelers, which damages the structure. Escalators, on the other hand, are prone to theft and vandalism. Maintenance becomes a recurring issue,” the NHAI official said.The decision comes at a time when this pedestrian crossing infrastructure on the expressway remains inaccessible and neglected due to a lack of maintenance over the last three years. Despite repeated complaints, repairs remained pending, leaving commuters to navigate unsafe crossings.Escalators at several foot overbridges — including those at IFFCO Chowk, Rajeev Chowk and Signature Tower — remained non-functional for a long time, forcing commuters to climb steep staircases or risk crossing fast-moving traffic.At present, around 30 escalators are installed at various foot overbridges along the expressway, many of which are non-functional. At IFFCO Chowk, apart from non-operational escalators, parts of the roof covering the bridge are missing. Similar conditions prevail at Rajeev Chowk and Signature Tower.The maintenance of these has been a long-standing issue between the civic agencies. NHAI, which constructed the pedestrian infrastructure, maintained that the structures were meant primarily for local traffic and urged GMDA to take over their upkeep. In 2024, NHAI wrote to the Haryana chief secretary seeking transfer of maintenance responsibilities. However, GMDA declined, saying that the structures fall within the national highway’s purview. In 2025, GMDA again wrote to NHAI, flagging safety concerns and mounting public complaints, and sought urgent repairs.However, road safety experts cautioned that replacing escalators with lifts may not address the core issue of usability.Founder of road-safety NGO TRAX Anurag Kulshrestha said, “Foot overbridges with ramps are not very successful. Climbing a structure that is almost the height of a two-storey building discourages usage. People are unlikely to walk 400–500 metres to access an FOB and then double back to reach their destination. That is simply not practical. Escalators and lifts are mechanical systems dependent on electricity. Their maintenance is a persistent challenge. If escalators are not functioning — as is the case at many locations on NH8 — replacing them with lifts will not automatically solve the problem. The maintenance burden remains the same.”
