Two lanes of the Dwarka Expressway, on the Gurugram-to-Delhi side near the Bajghera exit, have been closed after damage was discovered in an expansion joint. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to replace the damaged joint, with the repair work expected to be completed within a week. Once the repairs are finished, the two lanes will be re-opened for traffic.

The damage to the expansion joint was identified following a truck and car accident on January 31, 2025, which caused significant damage to the joint. Temporary measures were put in place, and NHAI procured a new expansion joint for replacement. The authority confirmed that the damaged area, located at kilometre 15 of the Dwarka Expressway's package 3, would be permanently repaired soon.

A site visit on Monday revealed that the rubber portion of the joint was missing, and the iron girders had undergone multiple weldings due to repeated damage. Despite multiple repairs, the constant flow of traffic has caused continued deterioration of the joint. Traffic marshals have been deployed, and barricades have been placed to ensure commuter safety.

Expansion joints are critical components in flyovers, made of rubber and steel, allowing for natural expansion and contraction of concrete due to temperature changes, which prevents cracks. This incident is not the first on the Dwarka Expressway, as a similar failure occurred near the Yashobhumi Convention Centre earlier this year.

The 19-kilometre Gurugram section of the Dwarka Expressway, which was operationalised in March 2024 at a cost of Rs 41 billion, is part of a larger Rs 10,000 billion project, including the Delhi section still under construction.

News source: Hindustan Times