News: No e-way access if work on service road delayed: NHAI-16-04-2021
No e-way access if work on service road delayed: NHAI
Gurgaon: New sectors might not get access to Dwarka Expressway if Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) fails to start work on the 24-metre service road along it within a year, according to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials.
NHAI has asserted that the expressway will be access-controlled and for the service lanes to have access to the stretch, the GMDA will have to start the construction work simultaneously.
The NHAI officials have claimed that despite repeated reminders, GMDA has yet not initiated the work on the service lanes. On the contrary, the metropolitan body has asked NHAI to acquire the land to build the 24-metre roads for service lanes in new sectors, from Sector 113 till trumpet flyover in Sector 88. The highways authority has categorically stated that it’s not a land-acquiring body and if at all it has to undertake the land acquisition process, it will choose to construct the road itself.
“Entire Dwarka Expressway will be access-controlled and it was decided that GMDA will construct the service lanes and we will create access points for these lanes. But, GMDA has not even begun with the land acquisition work. They have asked us to do it for them. We are not a land acquisition body. We only acquire those lands where we have to carry out our road construction works. If GMDA fails to construct service lanes, we won’t be responsible if the new sectors don’t get the access points to the stretch,” said a senior NHAI official.
The NHAI has, in fact, proposed to undertake the entire project for constructing the service lanes. NHAI officials have claimed that if the state government allows them to construct these service lanes, it will bear the entire cost and get it completed along with the expressway. “We don’t have a problem in constructing the service lanes. If the state government agrees to our proposal and we get the necessary proposals we’ll be able to complete the work within one year from the date of getting the approval. In such a case, our focus will be to integrate these service lanes with our work on the expressway and develop it simultaneously,” the official added. The residents of new sectors are also in favour of NHAI taking up the road construction as they believe not only will NHAI complete it timely but also ensure the longevity of the road.
“In absence of service road how the residents are expected to reach their society? Due to the lack of basic amenities, we have suffered a lot. CM must ensure that NHAI acquires the land and clubs the service lanes along the Dwarka Expressway with the completion timeline of Package 3 and 4,” said Gaurav Prakash resident of sector 109.
Sources told TOI that NHAI and GMDA have called a meeting on Friday to discuss the issue.
