Missing links delay ring road project

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune news service

Chandigarh, September 19

Slow work by neighboring states of Punjab and Haryanato complete missing links is delaying the ring road project. The Chandigarh Administration is looking at the Centre Government to fund the project, which has been running late for years’ altogether.

The UT Administration will be placing the agenda for the construction of the ring road at the meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) to be held tomorrow (September 20).

In the agenda, the Administration has stated: “To prevent traffic congestion within the city, there is a compelling need to create a ring road/bypass around Chandigarh. This will also provide better connectivity to the International Airport.”

The matter has already been taken up with Governments of Haryana and Punjab to provide missing links to avoid through traffic for the construction of ring road, which falls in their area. This will reduce inter regional through traffic.

Sources said, “There are some places where inner ring road has to be completed. The road work is yet to be completed near Mullanpur in Punjab and at two places in Panchkula.”

The Government of Haryana has intimated, “The construction of bridge over Ghaggar river and connecting roads of Sector 24/26 and 20/21, Panchkula, is an important city-level link of PR-7 to NH-22 (Shimla Road) and NH-73 (Chandigarh-Roorke) and the proposed ring road of Chandigarh.”

To have better connectivity to Sector 24 to 28 approx 700 metres stretch of road falling in Punjab has to be constructed along with the bridge on Ghaggar river.

To initiate the process, decisions were taken at meetings held at the level of Principal Secretary, Government of Haryana, Town and Country Planning Department and Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab.

For the construction of 700 metres stretch it was decided that demarcation of land would be carried out at the site by officials of the Punjab Government. The Forest Department would take up the matter for handing over the forest land to Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran for construction of the road.

The alignment of road has been carried out by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran with the help of total station and the GPS system, but it is yet to be confirmed by the Government of Punjab.

The sources in the UT Administration said after completion of the inner and outer ring road the city’s major traffic problem would be solved.