Airport road’s 6-km stretch to reopen for traffic this week

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 16

After remaining closed down for nearly six months, Airport road’s six-km stretch from Airport Chowk to Banur-Landran road T-Point (PR 9) is all set to open for traffic, though partially, within this week.

Ravi Bhagat, chief administrator of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), said the repair work on one carriageway of PR 9 has almost been completed.

“We are looking forward to opening it for traffic within a week,” said Bhagat.

He said one side where the repair work of bituminous concrete is being done would be opened first. “The other side of the road is still under repair. It will take some more time to make it ready for traffic. We are also trying to get it readied as early as possible,” said Bhagat.

Under the repair work, the road was dug till its foundation at a number of places and then re-laid afresh following which dense bituminous macadam (DBM) work was carried out. Bhagat said the entire repair work was being done by the contractor, who had constructed the road earlier, free of cost.

“We (GMADA) are not spending a single penny on it. In fact, we have withheld his (contractor) payment of around Rs 20 crore, which would only be released when the four-member special committee, formed by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, would give clearance to the road,” said Bhagat.

It is to be noted that the road was closed in mid-September last year following occurrence of back-to-back fatal accidents on a particular spot on the road. The entire road was in deplorable condition. It later came out during the survey of the road that it was constructed on ‘black cotton’ soil, which had to be dug out and replaced before construction. The road was severely damaged as earth was not laid in its foundation as per specifications. Besides, sub-standard material was also found to be used during its construction. Following the development, a special four-member committee was also formed by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for suggesting measures to repair the stretch and the committee in question had set December 15 as deadline for reopening the road for vehicles.