GURGAON: A 70-meter portion of the newly inaugurated Dwarka Expressway sustained damage on Thursday, only four months after its launch, raising concerns about construction quality. The affected area, located on the Gurgaon-Delhi carriageway near Heritage Max society, exhibited an uneven surface due to the rise of the asphalt top layer in some spots and minor cracks in others.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials announced a detailed probe to determine the cause of the damage. The contractor promptly repaired the damage, with patchwork observed at three spots and surface distress at two others during a site visit by TOI on Thursday.
A senior NHAI official confirmed the uneven surface issue. “We have instructed the agency to conduct the repair work and will also carry out a thorough investigation to understand the reasons behind this,” the official stated.
The 18.7 km Gurgaon section of the Rs 9,000-crore expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March this year, almost 18 years after the Haryana government conceived the idea of an additional link between Delhi and Gurgaon. Designed as a ‘model’ urban expressway by NHAI, it was expected to meet the region’s traffic needs for the next 20 years and remain in good condition without major repairs for many years.
Staff on-site attributed the damage to an accident a few days prior, resulting in diesel spilling on the road surface and rainwater seeping through a leak in the median wall. “Repairs have been carried out. A new layer of bitumen mix has been applied to the damaged patches, and the median’s base has been sealed with concrete to prevent water spillage,” a worker explained.
Despite these efforts, residents expressed concerns. “The expressway has started showing damage just four months after opening. It’s shocking. Some patchwork wasn’t done evenly, causing a jerk when vehicles pass over,” said Aman Sangwan, a frequent commuter from Palam Vihar.
This incident follows a similar one in May, where a 20-meter stretch of the Jaipur-Delhi carriageway at the Hero Honda Chowk flyover developed a depression. As a precaution, NHAI cordoned off the area and restricted traffic flow on one lane. A three-member committee was formed to examine the damage and provide recommendations. However, no remedial measures have been undertaken on the flyover as the report’s decision is still pending at NHAI headquarters, according to sources.