Rains a month away, damaged jersey barriers cleared in push for safety in Gurgaon

Gurgaon: GMDA has removed more than 400 damaged jersey barriers and cleared obstructions from major stretches across the city over the past few weeks, including Rajiv Chowk, Old Railway Road, Delhi-Gurgaon Road, Medanta Hospital Road and IFFCO Chowk–Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), among others.

Apart from damaged barriers, foundation stones, redundant pipelines and other structures along carriageways and road margins were removed. With monsoon not far away, the metropolitan authority is working to improve the city’s road infrastructure.

According to data, 474 people died in 1,118 road accidents in the city last year, while 2024 recorded 478 fatalities in 1,024 accidents. Officials noted that a higher number of accidents typically occur during the winter months, highlighting the urgent need for safer and better-maintained road infrastructure.

“Damaged road infrastructure not only compromises road safety but also affects the effective right-of-way available to motorists. The removal of these obstructions will help create safer road edges, improve visibility and provide a better commuting experience,” the GMDA official said.

“By clearing road margins and removing unnecessary roadside infrastructure, we aim to facilitate smoother maintenance of drains, shoulders and other critical urban infrastructure during the rainy season,” the official added.

Officials said the citywide exercise is being carried out in phases through dedicated field teams, with priority given to major intersections and crowded stretches. The authority plans to continue the removal of remaining obstructions and undertake corridor-wise safety improvements in the coming months.

A TOI report in Feb flagged poor maintenance of jersey barriers across the city.

At several locations, the barriers were damaged, with steel rods protruding from broken concrete. Pieces of shattered barriers could be seen lying near the road, further increasing the risk for motorists and pedestrians alike. Earlier, GMDA had directed the traffic police to conduct a survey of a 9km stretch on MG Road. The findings highlighted the urgent need to install spring posts ahead of jersey barriers near Sukhrali village to minimise the impact of potential road mishaps. When a TOI team visited the area, the jersey barriers installed at the beginning of Sukhrali on MG Road were found to be without reflective tapes or any other reflectors.