The Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has fast-tracked construction of two underpasses on Sardar Patel Marg and Tonk Road to manage traffic expected to rise after major road, railway and metro projects become operational in the city. Construction of the Sardar Patel Marg underpass is scheduled to begin in December, while work on the Gopalpura crossing underpass is expected to start in the first quarter of next year.
The decision followed a meeting involving traffic stakeholders and Jaipur Metro officials. JDA officials said the two projects were being advanced together to prevent severe congestion as connected infrastructure projects progress across the city.
A JDA engineer told the Times of India that traffic studies had warned of a sharp increase in vehicle movement after the Civil Lines railway overbridge opens and work advances on the elevated road along Gopalpura Bypass Road. The Civil Lines RoB is expected to open to traffic by December, while the elevated road has a 2028 deadline.
“We are already running late for the Sardar Patel Marg project. We do not want to take any chances and will start both projects simultaneously,” the engineer said.
The Sardar Patel Marg underpass will extend for about 400 metres on either side of the Rajmahal Hotel crossing in C Scheme. The JDA expects the crossing to receive heavier traffic from Chomu House, including vehicles turning right to access the new railway overbridge. The underpass is intended to improve movement between Bais Godam and Chomu House.
The second project, at the Gopalpura crossing on Tonk Road, is being planned for future traffic between the OTS crossing on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg and Gurjar Ki Thadi on New Sanganer Road. Its need is linked to the planned elevated corridor on Gopalpura Bypass Road, which is scheduled for completion in 2028.
Both locations also require coordination with Jaipur Metro construction. Metro officials said the Tonk Road underpass falls directly on the under-construction metro corridor, while the Sardar Patel Marg site is close to the proposed Government Hostel Metro station.
“Since the metro project will take years, JDA has been allowed to work in patches. Building both systems together will help manage congestion during construction,” a metro official said.
The decision to execute the projects alongside metro works reflects the traffic-management challenge created when multiple large infrastructure projects operate within the same road network. The JDA plans to begin the two underpasses on separate but connected timelines, with the Sardar Patel Marg work starting in December and the Tonk Road project following in the first quarter of next year.
