Gurugram, Nov. 7 -- The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to appoint an agency to maintain the MG Road stretch in Gurugram ahead of its formal handover, seeking to prevent deterioration while improvement work continues, officials said on Friday. The section between the Westin Hotel near Iffco Chowk and Sikanderpur Metro station is currently maintained by GMDA. It forms part of the MG Road corridor designated a national highway, linking NH-48 in Gurugram with the Delhi-Haryana border. In an October 16 letter, GMDA requested NHAI to arrange operation and maintenance of the stretch on priority, even before the transfer is completed. It said the handover would follow completion of ongoing improvements and approval by the competent authority. "The formal handing over of the aforesaid stretch to NHAI shall be undertaken upon completion of the ongoing works, subject to requisite approval of GMDA," the letter said. A senior NHAI official confirmed that a consultant had been appointed to prepare a detailed project report for upgrading the Gurugram section of MG Road. The proposal seeks to reduce traffic interruptions and could include elevated sections, depending on feasibility. An interchange at IFFCO Chowk is also being considered to improve access from MG Road to the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway for traffic travelling towards Delhi and Jaipur, the official said. NHAI would take over maintenance after the handover, he added. The highway authority is also planning major improvements on the Delhi side of MG Road, from the Haryana border to Andheria Morh, an approximately 8.5km stretch. Officials said a detailed project report had been prepared for the Delhi section, with an estimated project cost of Rs.980 crore. The proposal envisages signal-free movement and about 4.5km of elevated road alongside the Metro. This includes a proposed elevated section between Andheria Morh and CDR Chowk, aimed at easing traffic congestion. An NHAI traffic survey estimated daily traffic on the corridor at 150,000 passenger car units, a measure that converts different vehicle types into their passenger-car equivalents....