GMDA Elevated SPR Tender Nears Final Nod

GURUGRAM: The tender for a 4.2-kilometre elevated Southern Peripheral Road from Vatika Chowk to NH-48 is likely to receive clearance from the state government's vetting committee within a week, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority said on Thursday.

The Rs 775 crore package has already been approved by the state government and will be floated once the committee gives its go-ahead, a senior GMDA official said. Under the latest state directive, all tenders above Rs 15 crore are sent to the committee for scrutiny before invitation of bids.

"The tender for the construction of elevated SPR from Vatika Chowk to NH-48 has been finalised and is currently under scrutiny of the committee. We expect the tender to be approved within a week. We are ready to float the tender by the start of next month," the official said.

The proposed elevated corridor between Vatika Chowk and NH-48 is planned with 4+4 lanes, with 3+3-lane primary service roads and 2+2 secondary service lanes. Two-lane ramps are planned at key junctions for entry and exit. An interchange at NH-48 is meant to link the national highway network, while another at Vatika Chowk has been proposed to connect the SPR with the Gurugram-Sohna elevated corridor.

GMDA expects the elevated stretch to ease peak-hour bottlenecks at major intersections in sectors 69, 70, 71/72, 70/75, 71/74, 75/75A and 74/74A. Traffic studies and population projections indicate that these junctions will need grade separation within the next decade as hourly traffic on the stretch is projected to exceed 10,000 passenger car units.

The detailed project report for phase two of the elevated SPR, from Ghata to Vatika Chowk, is under preparation and is expected to be finalised in about two months. Estimates for a cloverleaf interchange at Vatika Chowk are also being prepared and are expected within two weeks, the official said. Construction of the elevated SPR is likely to take about 30 months once work begins.

GMDA had withdrawn the phase-one tender in June after the state government sought changes to the tender document and directed a revision of the request for proposal. In 2022, the authority had planned to build the entire 12 km SPR stretch from Ghata to NH-48 at about Rs 845 crore, but that package could not be executed after efforts to secure partial cost-sharing from real estate developers did not succeed.

For residents and office commuters along the southern belt, the elevated corridor is meant to separate through traffic from local turns that currently stack at Vatika Chowk and adjoining sector junctions. Officials said utility shifting, land for ramps and traffic diversion plans will be detailed after the contractor is selected. Until then, ground-level congestion on the SPR is expected to persist during morning and evening peaks.

GMDA has listed the elevated SPR among its priority mobility projects for the southern periphery, alongside ongoing work on other grade separators. Bid invitation is targeted for early next month if the committee clears the revised papers on schedule.