Centre okays Rs 27 crore for two incomplete flyovers on Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway

The Centre has approved the plan to construct two incomplete flyovers on the Chandigarh-Kharar-Ludhiana highway at a cost of Rs 27.3 crore.

The development assumes significance as three flyovers on NH-05, connecting Chandigarh with Ludhiana, had been lying incomplete even five years after the completion of the 76-km project at a cost of Rs 2,100 crore in March 2020.

While one of these three missing flyovers, which witness frequent fatal accidents and traffic jams, was completed recently, the two other flyovers are still incomplete.

Approving the proposal sent by its Regional Officer (Punjab and Haryana), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has allowed the change of scope proposal amounting to Rs 27.3 crore to build the remaining two missing links on the highway.

Congress MP Dr Amar Singh, who represents the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency, in which both these missing flyovers fall, last month took up the issue with the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, seeking early completion of both flyovers at Khant Manpur and Jatana Uncha .

Responding to his communication, NHAI General Manager PN Gawasane intimated him that the competent authority has approved the construction of both missing flyovers at a cost of Rs 27.3 crore.

The flyover at the Bhaini Sahib junction was completed and opened to traffic in January following a demand raised by Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora.

The unavailability of requisite land had left three minor stretches, with a length of less than 2-km, incomplete over five years back when the widening of the highway was completed.

The issue of land acquisition was resolved recently after Arora took up the matter with the district administrations of Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib and the NHAI officials.

Sharing details, the NHAI officials told The Tribune on Thursday that three flyovers on the Kharar to Ludhiana NH-05, with a total length of 76.014-km, of which 74.284-km was completed in March 2020, were de-scoped due to various litigations pertaining to land acquisition issues.

One of these de-scoped segments at Katani Kalan in Ludhiana district has been cleared and work on it has been completed by the concessionaire.

Besides, the land required for construction of two other stretches at Khant Manpur and Jatana Uncha, totalling 1.285-km in Fatehgarh Sahib district, has also been handed over to the NHAI, with demolition of structures almost complete.

“Since the issue has been resolved and the possession of requisite land taken over, the flyover at the Bhaini Sahib junction is already functional. Work on the rest of the black spots will also be completed by December,” said the Rajya Sabha MP.

Improved connectivity

The project provides alternative connectivity from Chandigarh to NH-1, as well as for traffic from South-West Punjab to Chandigarh. It has two major bridges, six minor ones, eight flyovers, six vehicular underpasses, 10 pedestrian underpasses, 126 culverts, 46-km service lane, nine major junctions and 8-km bypass at Samrala.

Critical blackspots

The two incomplete links at Jatana Uncha and Khant Manpur have become traffic bottlenecks. The traffic from both sides is diverted on a single lane. These spots witness fatal accidents and traffic jams on a daily basis. “These areas are critical blackspots for the project and need expedited completion,” said NHAI officials.

Rs 2,070-crore project

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the widening (four to six lanes) of the Kharar-Ludhiana section of NH-05 on June 15, 2016. The NHAI awarded the work at Rs 2,069.7 crore, including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities, on September 5, 2016. The construction of 76-km Kharar-Ludhiana section involved six-laning of 54-km and four-laning of 22-km stretch. Starting from Kharar town, the highway passes through Morinda bypass, Khamano town, Samrala bypass and terminates at Ludhiana city.

Chandigarh