A section of the Gurugram-Sohna Highway has caved in for the seventh time in three years, forcing the closure of one lane and slowing traffic on a key route used by vehicles travelling from Delhi towards the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The latest subsidence was reported on Monday, prompting the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and traffic police to barricade the affected stretch near the S.D. Adarsh School.
The damaged section is near the sewer line running from the Sheeshpal Vihar Society towards Subhash Chowk. The line, laid about 30 years ago, carries sewage from sectors 45 to 51 to the Behrampur sewage treatment plant. According to the report, the sewer line lies 22 to 25 feet below the highway and is in poor condition.
A cavity measuring about 2.5 to three feet wide was found near the line. NHAI officials, traffic police personnel and representatives of the company that constructed the highway reached the site after the damage was reported. The highway has three lanes, and one was closed with barricades to prevent accidents. Traffic moved slowly during the evening, causing inconvenience to motorists and raising safety concerns on the busy corridor.
The latest failure follows repair work completed around one-and-a-half months earlier. The road had previously caved in on 6 May, after which repair work began in August. NHAI reopened the stretch to traffic four months later, but the same lane has now subsided again. The repeated damage has focused attention on whether repairs to the road surface can remain effective while the ageing sewer line below continues to deteriorate.
The highway has reportedly caved in seven times since 2024: on 18 June, 30 June, 2 July and 24 December 2024; on 18 June 2025; and on 6 May 2026 and Monday. The approximately Rs 2,000-crore highway provides a connection for vehicles from Delhi to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
A longer-term sewer repair has been under consideration since the highway subsided in July 2024. The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority prepared an estimate of about Rs 20 crore for repairing the line using the cured-in-place pipe, or CIPP, method. An applicant company quoted 35 per cent above the estimated amount, after which the tender was cancelled following a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister.
A subsequent decision assigned the sewer-line repair to NHAI, with the cost to be borne by GMDA. NHAI has prepared a revised estimate of approximately Rs 58 crore, which GMDA has approved. Yogesh Tilak, NHAI project director, said the permanent repair would begin soon and be completed by February. He said the CIPP method would prevent further damage to the sewer line and, in turn, stop the road from sinking.
Until the permanent work is completed, the immediate traffic management response remains the barricading of the affected lane. NHAI and traffic officials are responsible for securing the damaged section and managing movement around the repair site.
