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The Iffco Chowk parallel flyover has developed a crack — 40-feet long and 4 to 5-inch wide — in the middle of the four-lane unidimensional stretch. The damage was found on the expansion joint, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials aware of the matter said on Monday.
HT visited the spot on Monday and also found another similar smaller crack in the middle of the road near the same spot. Both the cracks could prove hazardous to the commuters driving cars and two wheelers on this stretch as they could lose balance of the vehicles. Also, vehicles passing on the surface road below it are visible through the gap.
Traffic from MG Road and service lane of Delhi-Gurgaon expressway take the Iffco Chowk parallel flyover to move towards Signature Tower Crossing or Rajiv Chowk.
NHAI officials said that they were aware of the cracks that have surfaced on the expansion joint and were working on a war footing to repair them.
A senior NHAI official said that the material used to seal the expansion joint will arrive soon. “We have installed barriers on the stretch as soon as the matter was brought to our notice. Repair work has been taken up on a priority basis and would be completed in a day. The crack happened due to an opening on the expansion joint,” the official added requesting anonymity.
A Gurugram police official said that they have informed the highway operations team about the problem immediately.
Meanwhile, commuters passing through the road said that the cracks posed a threat to them while crossing the flyover.
Kumar Thakur, a commuter, said that he felt a sudden jolt while riding on his scooter and immediately swerved to change direction. “The crack is wide enough for a scooter or a bike to get stuck or lose balance. It could lead to an accident if one gets stuck,” he added.
The commuters also said that while the crack was visible during the day, however, it could prove to be dangerous during the night when visibility was low and people drove at a higher speed due to relatively less traffic. “The highway authority should conduct regular inspection of the stretch to ensure that such cracks are identified and repaired immediately,” said Jitender Kumar, who regularly takes the route to return from Cyber Hub.
The Iffco Chowk parallel flyover has been prone to damage since it became operational in 2019. In August 2021, the retaining wall of the flyover collapsed after a sewage drain below it got damaged due to heavy rain. The drain and the retaining wall was later repaired and flyover made functional.
The 84-metre flyover was constructed at a cost of ₹38.73 crore and was opened for traffic in February 2019. The flyover was constructed as part of a larger project to build underpasses and flyovers along Iffco chowk, Signature Tower Crossing and Rajiv Chowk to decongest the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway.
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