A 2.5km gap in right of way clearance between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bharadwaj Chowk has emerged as a critical bottleneck for the first phase of the city metro in Gurgaon, threatening to slow down a project that is scheduled for completion in 2028.
Construction Halted on Key Stretch
While piling, pier work, and casting of girders have progressed on other sections of the 15.3km corridor, construction on this particular stretch cannot commence until the road is handed over. The delay has persisted for more than a year.
The stretch is being redeveloped by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as a deposit work for the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). However, the handover has been held up by uncertainty over the final road design and a delay in utility shifting, leaving one of the corridor's most critical links inaccessible for metro builders.
GMRL Official Voices Concern
A senior official from Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) stated that repeated requests for clearance have yielded little result. “We have been asking for RoW clearance for the past one year, but it has still not been handed over. This will hamper progress and affect the timeline we are trying to achieve,” the official added.
The stalled section falls on the 15.3km phase-1 line from Millennium City Centre to Sector 9. The project, estimated at Rs 1,277 crore, was awarded in August last year, and physical work began in November. On the ground, work has advanced up to Hero Honda Chowk. “Pile work is underway from Millennium City Centre to Hero Honda Chowk, piers are being built, and girder casting has started. We are hoping to begin launching girders within the next two months,” the GMRL official said.
The delay has also been brought to the attention of a high-powered committee chaired by the chief secretary, which is reviewing the metro project's progress.
Utility Shifting: The Main Hurdle
NHAI officials agreed that the primary obstacle is the shifting of utilities, which involves multiple agencies and a tightly linked sequence of work. HVPNL's transmission infrastructure has to be moved, a substation is under construction, and DHBVN is relocating feeder lines along the corridor.
“Most of HVPNL’s transmission line work is complete, while civil work on the substation is still going on,” an NHAI official said. Of the 32 feeder lines on the stretch, 17 are being shifted by DHBVN and 15 by NHAI.
Officials noted that sewer lines and water pipelines cannot be shifted until the power infrastructure is moved. “There are a large number of electric poles. Until they are removed, the underground utility work cannot proceed,” the official said, adding that power shifting is targeted for completion by June, though progress depends partly on DHBVN.
Phase 1 Overview
Phase 1 of the city metro will run from Millennium City Centre to Sector 9, with a spur from Basai to Dwarka Expressway at Sector 101. The corridor will have 14 elevated stations, including Millennium City Centre, Sector 45, Cyber Park, Subhash Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Basai, and Sector 9.
