Gurgaon: GMDA has planned a comprehensive revamp of nearly 2 km of the busy St Thomas Marg along the master road in Sectors 52A, 53 and 43.The stretch is a crucial link between Ardee Mall and Golf Course Road and provides key connectivity to residential complexes in DLF-5, including Westend Heights, Princeton Estate and Carlton Estate, and several commercial establishments in the surrounding area. With a few schools and a hospital located along the road, it sees heavy traffic movement during the day.The Rs 7.4 crore repair project will include resurfacing of the master road and portions of the service road. The repair will not be limited to resurfacing. According to officials, the plan is to also develop footpaths along the road and install guardrails to keep these spaces free from encroachments. Road safety items and thermoplastic markings will also be installed as part of the revamp. Lowering of green areas to improve the retention of water and reduce waterlogging will also be taken up, a GMDA official said.“We have invited bids for the project and are hoping to allot the work within the next two months. While the contractual timeline is one year, efforts would be made to complete the work before the next monsoon season,” the official said.For commuters, the revamp comes as a relief as the road had only undergone patch repairs over the years. The last repair work was carried out six years ago during which the stretch was recarpeted. Since then, locals said, the damaged patches and heavy traffic have made the short stretch difficult to negotiate during peak hours.Nihal Mandhotra, general secretary of Ardee City, who uses the road daily, said, “It has several broken sections which is very inconvenient for motorists. It was in need of resurfacing for a long time. Crossing this 2-km stretch is a daily nightmare, especially with bumper-to-bumper traffic. It also needs better planning and augmentation to accommodate the traffic it sees every day.”Ashok Dalwani, general secretary of the RWA in Sushant Lok-1, said, “The resurfacing of this road is a welcome move because there is a strong need for improvement, particularly around Paras Hospital where the traffic volume is high. A large number of people use this road every day, and pedestrians also have to walk along the carriageway because of the poor condition of the footpaths.”Dalwani said the service road also needed attention, particularly the drainage system. “Before repairing the service road, the drains need to be cleared properly. In several places, they are covered with garbage and other material. If the drains are not cleaned first, simply repairing or recarpeting the road will not provide a lasting solution. If the civic authority is taking up the road, it should ensure that the work is done properly and the improvement lasts,” he said.
