Gurgaon: GMDA will be widening the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) stretch between Vatika Chowk and Ghata Chowk by paving the unpaved road shoulder with bituminous material. This will improve traffic flow while mitigating dust pollution in the area, officials said.The Authority has floated a tender for the project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 6.9 crore. Once awarded, the work is expected to take at least nine months to complete.“The road shoulders currently have unpaved patches between the carriageway and the roadside edge. These portions generate dust, and motorists use them to overtake or cut across near junctions, which poses a serious safety risk. We are now upgrading it edge-to-edge so the entire available width can function as a proper paved road,” an official said.The unpaved shoulders have been a major source of concern for commuters. During dry weather, accumulated dust from these stretches contributes to air pollution, while during rains, the same sections turn muddy and waterlogged, making them unsafe.Earlier, the metropolitan authority planned to pave the 6km-long unpaved shoulder with interlocking paver tiles to address dust pollution and waterlogging, which are perennial issues witnessed on this stretch.However, GMDA has now opted for a bituminous layer to convert the existing unpaved shoulder into a paved edge-to-edge usable carriageway, creating additional road space.Officials said the bituminous layer will integrate the shoulder with the existing carriageway, allowing smoother vehicle movement and better lane discipline. “The aim is to use the available road width to increase capacity and improve traffic movement on the stretch,” the official added.SPR is the key arterial road that witnesses heavy movement of traffic and connects Dwarka Expressway, Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, Sohna highway and Gurgaon-Faridabad road. Despite repairs to the main carriageway in 2024 by GMDA, the road shoulders on this stretch remained unpaved.Motorists often use these shoulders to bypass traffic, increasing the risk of skidding and accidents. The widening is expected to serve as an immediate congestion-relief measure, even as larger infrastructure plans for a signal-free elevated road are in the pipeline for this arterial road.Meanwhile, the Authority is also identifying 15 key roads across the city for redevelopment to address the road dust. Once shortlisted, these stretches will be redesigned by the School of Planning and Architecture and CSIR-Central Road Research Institute. The redesign will focus on scientific road engineering practices, including better paving, improved drainage systems, and roadside greening.
