GMDA plans to build four foot overbridges

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) plans to construct foot over bridges (FOBs) across the city, in a bid to alleviate congestion and traffic jams and to provide safe pedestrian crossing facilities, said officials on Saturday.These projects will be undertaken with private companies under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) program and independently by the GMDA. The authority intends to build four FOBs at busy locations, investing ₹16 crore of its own funds, they added.

A senior GMDA official revealed plans to build a FOB on Old Delhi Gurugram Road, opposite the Maruti Suzuki factory’s main gate, to facilitate the movement of the large number of company workers and pedestrians at this location. Additional FOBs are proposed opposite Medanta Hospital and along Golf Course Road under CSR initiatives.

The GMDA official further said that they recently had a meeting with a very senior Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) official and the proposal was discussed in detail. “We have got a nod to build this FOB under the CSR and it will help around 8,000 Maruti Suzuki factory workers to cross the busy road daily in front of their workplace on Old Delhi Road. We have appointed a project consultant and soon a detailed project report will be prepared for this project. This FOB will have escalators and other facilities,” he said, adding that an amount ₹5-6 crore is likely to be spent on this structure.

The Old Delhi Gurugram Road, connecting Old Gurugram with Palam Vihar, sectors 22, 21, 23, Dwarka in Delhi, and surrounding areas, experiences daily congestion. Numerous Maruti workers residing in nearby colonies and villages such as Mollahera, Dundahera, Noble Enclave, and sectors 21, 22, 23 cross this road to reach their workplace. Sanjay Sharma, a resident of sector 23, welcomed the decision, stating, “Constructing an FOB in front of the Maruti Suzuki factory gate is a welcome move as heavy congestion occurs when shifts end daily at this location.”

Apart from this location, GMDA officials have proposed setting up an FOB in front of Medanta Hospital but that proposal has yet to get a positive response. “We are building a FOB on Golf course road under CSR and more are likely to come up on this road. These FOBs will ensure safe movement of pedestrians. The GMDA on its own has also decided to construct FOBs at four locations that include the Sheetla Mata temple, Sector 14 market, Sohna road and Millennium City metro station. These will cost around ₹16 crore and will have facilities such as escalators,” the official said.

An FOB is also being built at Narsinghpur on the Delhi Gurugram Expressway to facilitate pedestrian movement. “Once these infrastructures are in place, pedestrians will be able to cross these busy roads safely,” the official said.

However, a spokesperson for Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), when asked about the proposed project, stated, “MSIL is not contributing to this FOB.”