In a move that will come as a relief to a lakh vehicles that travel everyday through Gaur Chowk in Greater Noida, one of the busiest intersections in the NCR, an eight-lane underpass is expected to open by mid-August.The 700-metre-long underpass will run parallel to the Taj Highway and connect Greater Noida (Surajpur) and Gaur City. Officials said 76% of the construction has been completed, and the project is expected to be done ahead of schedule.The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) had planned the project in 2024 to alleviate traffic snarls. The Chowk is a crucial point, leading to Ghaziabad in the North, Greater Noida (Surajpur) in the South, Delhi in the East and National Highway 24 in the West.“Around 1 lakh vehicles pass through the intersection every day,” said an official, adding that 30,000 vehicles are expected to use the underpass. The official also said it was a six-lane underpass earlier, which has now been expanded to eight. Officials said 76% of the construction has been completed. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)Officials said though the project starting in 2024, it took almost an year to relocate sewer lines, cables, gas pipelines and create diversions for commuters.When The Indian Express visited the spot on a Tuesday afternoon last week, dozens of auto rickshaws were parked haphazardly along the road going to Surajpur.Among them was Chandra Shekhar (45), originally from UP’s Etah, waiting impatiently for a passenger.Story continues below this ad“I try getting as many rides as I can during the afternoon since when the evening sets in, all four roads are packed,” he said. “If I pick up a ride from Surajpur towards Gaur City, I have to take a long U-turn after crossing towards Delhi, adding roughly 1 km in each direction. During evening rush hour, this can add up to 30 minutes to the journey,” he said, adding that once the underpass is operational, vehicles will be able to continue traveling straight.Shekhar said the underpass would provide 90% relief between 7 am and 10 am and again after 6 pm. “The morning rush largely comprises vehicles headed towards Delhi and the evening flow moving in the opposite direction,” he added.The estimated cost of the project is Rs 82 crore. “The most challenging phase involved deep excavation in the covered section of the underpass, which is now finished. The remaining work primarily consists of building the entry and exit ramps, with one side towards Surajpur already completed,” informed the official, adding that delay was also caused due to pollution restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan.For Manish Sisodia (42), a motorist with an app-based bike taxi service, timely completion of the project is crucial to his daily earnings.Story continues below this adStanding under the shade of the footover bridge at the square while waiting for a ride, Sisodia, an English graduate, complained that the construction has significantly worsened traffic congestion.“If a passenger books a ride from one side to the other, we have to take a long detour, but the fare remains the same. The company does not count the extra 2 km we take on many trips,” he said.For instance, he explained, a ride from Surajpur to Gaur City is around Rs 115 for a 17-km distance but the extra distance caused by diversions is not added to the fare.“During peak hours, the detour can add 1.5-2 km and considerably increase travel time. We cannot ask riders to pay more. And sometimes they cancel at the last moment after we reach the pick-up point,” he complained, hoping that once the project is completed, it would make commuting smoother.Story continues below this adHe also wished proper alternative routes had been chalked out during construction. “If you start a major infrastructure project, there should be proper diversions… so that the public does not suffer,” he said.Another commuter, who did not wish to be named, hoped that this project would help him reach his office in Surajpur on time. A resident of RDC in Ghaziabad, he said it takes around an hour currently every morning.“Through the underpass, it will be reduced to just 25 minutes since the traffic, which is now being diverted, will go straight and and I will not have to take a NH-24 U-turn,” he said.