Commuters Avoid Toll, Suffer Crater-Filled Delhi Route
With toll collection starting at Bijwasan on the Dwarka Expressway, hundreds of commuters from Gurgaon’s new sectors are now using an alternate Delhi route to avoid the newly imposed ₹220 toll. However, the alternate road via Raghopur has turned into a daily nightmare, riddled with deep craters, uneven patches, dust pollution, and slow-moving traffic.
The stretch connects Upper Dwarka Expressway to Najafgarh Road in Delhi. Of the 4 km route, around 2.5 km falls under Gurgaon and is mostly motorable, but the remaining portion—300 metres before the Bijwasan toll plaza and 1.2 km through Raghopur village—remains dangerously broken.
Last year, Delhi’s irrigation department repaired part of the road, but a 20-metre stretch before the MCD toll booth remains cratered. The 1.2 km Raghopur stretch is dotted with potholes, causing severe dust and slowing down traffic during peak hours.
Residents express anger and helplessness.
Chetan Wadhwa, a Sector 102 resident, said,
“People are forced to choose between an unreasonable ₹220 toll road and a route so broken it damages vehicles. This is unacceptable.”
Retired Brigadier Anil Hooda from Sector 109 added,
“After toll enforcement, thousands shifted to this road. It must be repaired on priority.”
The situation is especially harsh for schoolchildren. The 75-metre-wide Upper Dwarka Expressway narrows down to less than 10 metres at Raghopur, causing major bottlenecks. School buses have also been diverted through the broken road, extending travel time to nearly two hours daily.
Sector 109 resident Rakesh Hooda said,
“Children commuting to Dwarka suffer the most. If tolls cannot be removed, the government must offer concessions or passes for school routes.”
A ₹103 crore upgrade plan was discussed at the NCR Planning Board, including land acquisition, but the Haryana government declined partial funding, stating that the road falls under Delhi’s jurisdiction.
A GMDA official said,
“Discussions are underway with concerned authorities. We are pushing for action on the Raghopur link.”
Until then, residents remain stuck between a costly toll road and a crater-filled, unsafe route—with no relief in sight.
