No underpass at Bakhtawar Chowk? GMRL pushes double-decker flyover-metro plan to ease snarls

Gurgaon: Plans to build an underpass at Bakhtawar Chowk have stalled after GMRL proposed a double-decker structure instead, citing limited space and the city's persistent waterlogging. Although GMDA approved Rs 80 crore for a 550-metre underpass, GMRL said an elevated double-decker option could be more practical, with a flyover for vehicles on the first deck and the metro line above it.The junction on Netaji Subhash Marg is slated to host the proposed Sector 47 metro station on the Millennium City Centre–Cyber City corridor.
The underpass design, revised and cleared in Jan 2023 at Rs 80 crore, included a six-lane main carriageway and two additional lanes on each side to manage surface traffic. GMDA was to fund the project, while GMRL would execute the work. Metro officials, however, said a flyover at the intersection would better serve long-term infrastructure needs and warned that service roads could be impacted. They also raised concerns that an underground structure could face operational disruptions during heavy rain due to waterlogging. "If we go ahead with the underpass, we will permanently consume space on this road. A large portion of the carriageway will be blocked for ramps and access, and surface traffic will be pushed onto already constrained service roads. In practical terms, we lose valuable road width without fully solving congestion. On the other hand, if we build an elevated structure, nearly 70% of traffic can be shifted there, while 100% of the surface area below remains available for local movement. We are not taking additional land, and traffic flow at the junction will be smooth," a GMRL official said. GMRL also said the elevated design would allow easier future expansion. "If traffic increases further, additional connections or ramps can be integrated without disturbing existing movement. Vehicles that do not need to access the intersection can bypass it entirely on the upper level, while local traffic continues smoothly below. An elevated structure will be better suited for future road expansion plans. An underpass limits surface movement, whereas a viaduct provides more flexibility for local traffic," the official said, adding that the proposal is likely to be taken up in a joint GMDA-GMRL meeting. GMDA said it has finalised the underpass design and has not yet received a formal double-decker proposal for Bakhtawar Chowk. Bakhtawar Chowk is a major junction on Subhash Marg and part of the proposed inner ring road, linking Atul Kataria Chowk, Signature Tower, Millennium City Centre, Hero Honda Chowk, Basai Chowk, railway station, and sectors 3, 4, 5, and 7. Traffic assessments indicate the intersection handles more than 10,000 passenger car units during peak hours, with inflow from Millennium City Centre, Subhash Chowk, Chaudhary Bakhtawar Singh Road, and Satpaul Mittal Road. Volumes are expected to rise further with the upcoming IKEA store in Sector 47. A flyover at Bakhtawar Chowk was first proposed in April 2021 under GMDA's decongestion plan, before being revised to an underpass in 2023. Work did not begin due to uncertainty over the metro corridor alignment. In April last year, GMRL was assigned execution of the project. Of six planned upgrades under the inner ring road plan, four have been completed. Work at Bakhtawar Chowk and on the stretch between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk is still pending. GMRL also agreed to plan a 1.2-km double-decker section on Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, where the phase-2 metro alignment overlaps with GMDA's proposed elevated corridor between Atul Kataria Chowk and Dundahera. A GMRL official said the agency accepted GMDA's request and noted that additional land will be needed to provide access to the proposed Sector 21 metro station.