Chandigarh: Shelved PGI-Sarangpur flyover back on the table after two years
Over two years after the proposed flyover from PGIMER to Sarangpur was put on hold, the UT Road Safety Committee has recommended its immediate revival, stressing the need to alleviate the escalating traffic chaos in the area.
The recommendation comes following a fresh survey conducted on the directions of deputy commissioner-cum-committee chairperson Nishant Kumar Yadav.
At a recent meeting of the committee, the most urgent recommendation was the construction of a grade-separated (elevated) flyover from PGIMER to the Botanical Garden in Sarangpur to ease traffic congestion.
The project was initially proposed in 2020 and a geotechnical study was also conducted. The UT-appointed technical consultant, General Highways and Infracon Pvt Ltd, had submitted a detailed report on the feasibility of the project.
However, in February 2023, the proposal was shelved after a Metro corridor was planned along the same route.
Stretch a critical chokepoint, says road safety committee
While the long-awaited Metro project has failed to pick up speed ever since, in its latest report, the Road Safety Committee stated that traffic jams, lack of footpaths (forcing pedestrians onto roads), roadside parking, encroachments by shops, waterlogging during monsoon, U-turns at junctions and autos halting mid-road to pick up passengers had collectively turned the stretch into a critical chokepoint.
The committee recommended a grade-separated flyover from PGIMER to Botanical Garden, shifting the boundary wall of the nearby school to create a walkable footpath, immediate removal of roadside encroachments, installation of 5-6 sets of rumble strips (15 mm thick, every 50 metres), creation of a designated school zone and widening the current road to 200 feet for Mullanpur-bound traffic.
UT chief engineer CB Ojha said the administration was awaiting the official minutes of the committee meeting. 'Once received, we will move ahead with the planning,' he said.
When asked about the Metro alignment along the same stretch, Ojha stated, 'Our current priority is to decongest traffic on this stretch.'
According to initial plans prepared by the UT engineering department, the project was to be constructed at a cost of around ₹90 crore, running 1.75 km in length, with a 1.3-km elevated stretch.
It was to start from near PGIMER and end near Botanical Garden, Sarangpur, after crossing over Khudda Jassu and Khudda Lahora villages. The planned total width of the flyover is around 19.1 metres and the carriageway width will be 17.5 metres.
'The administration had planned to provide a four-lane elevated highway in Khudda Lahora village in order to provide hassle-free movement of traffic from PGIMER side (Madhya Marg) towards Sarangpur, Kurali and Baddi,' said another senior UT official.
The revived proposal is expected to be taken up on priority, given the worsening traffic situation and recurring congestion along this vital corridor.
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