The underpassat Genpact Chowk was opened to traffic on Friday, bringing relief to commuters who face snarls at the busy junction on Golf Course Road.

The underpass was opened for trial on March 11 but had to be closed within 24 hours, following an objection from traffic police over lack of proper signage for motorists. The underpass, constructed at a cost of Rs 48 crore, was incorporated into 16-lane signal-free DLF-Huda expressway project at a latter stage. Six other underpasses on this high-speed corridor are already functional.

Traffic police have heaved a sigh of relief. “Now this underpass has been fully opened to traffic after installation of proper signage. It will help in reducing the congestion at Genpact crossing,” said ACP traffic (east) Sandeep Malik.

Apart from the underpass, two U-turns have also become operational. One of the U-turns is above the underpass for commuters headed towards the Sector 56 side. The other U-turn is for commuters headed to the Sikanderpur side over the underpass.

With the opening of Genpact Chowk underpass, temporary cuts near DLF Golf Club will be closed to allow smooth flow of traffic at the crossing.

The Genpact underpass was not part of the original plan for upgradation of Golf Course Road into 16-lane expressway. The underpass was incorporated at a later stage. And TOI had earlier this month reported that the underpass was opened for trial only after a cost-sharing agreement between Huda and DLF was inked, even though it was completed six months back.

The project received in-principal approval from the Haryana government in 2008. Huda and DLF signed an agreement in September 2011 to construct the expressway on cost-sharing basis. Finally, work started in June 2012 and was expected to be completed in June 2015.

But work was delayed due to several reasons — litigations, land issues, removal of obstacles and addition of elements like the underpass at Genpact Chowk at later stage.

The deadline of the project has been extended five times and the current deadline is June 2018.

The 16-lane road covering 8.3km from now-defunct Sirhaul toll plaza near Ambience Mall to Sector 55-56 was constructed to ease the heavy traffic flow in the city. The signal-free road is expected to reduce traffic time from Delhi border to Golf Course Road and adjoining areas. The road is also likely to benefit about 1.5 million residents and commuters from outside Gurugram who work in the city that houses many multi-national companies.