5 Chandigarh intersections take maximum traffic load

Dushyant Singh Pundir

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Chandigarh, July 16

Five intersections have been identified as the busiest junctions in the city. According to an interim report prepared by the Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), a public sector undertaking (PSU), maximum peak hour traffic was witnessed at Kisan Bhawan (Dakshin Marg-Udyog Path junction), Transport Chowk (Purv Margh-Madhya Marg), Gurdwara Chowk (Sukhna Path-Dakshin Path), Tribune Chowk (Purv Marg-Dakshin Marg) and Housing Board Chowk (Chandigarh-Panchkula road).

Suggestions by RITES

• Improvement in geometric design
• Provision of bus bays with shelters and auto bays about 100 m from junctions
• Relocation of existing bus stops near the junctions
• Entry/exit to service lanes can be provided on the approach arms at an appropriate distance from the junctions
• Improvement in the alignment of approach roads can be proposed to remove traffic bottlenecks

Kisan Bhawan Chowk 10,896

Gurdwara Chowk 12,061

Tribune Chowk 12,590

Transport Chowk11,921

Housing Board Chowk 9,510

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During a recent presentation made before senior officials of the UT Administration on the initial findings of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) of the tricity, officials of the PSU identified 15 intersections, including Matka Chowk, ISBT-17 Chowk, Sector 43B/35C Chowk, Press Chowk, Kumbra Chowk, Mohali bypass and the Balongi junction, which witness a maximum traffic of the tricity, with the above-mentioned five intersections being the busiest points. The heaviest traffic rush during the peak hours was witnessed at Tribune Chowk with a maximum volume of 12,590 vehicles. The report reveals that the private vehicles share is very high at all major junctions and it varies from 79 per cent to 90 per cent. The share of buses is very low, which varies from 0.4 per cent to 2.6 per cent, and that of intermediate public transport (IPT), vehicles hired for flexible passenger transportation, is about 9 per cent.

According to the report, the public transport-IPT share at the ISBT-17 Chowk was 14 per cent of the total vehicles.

The report stressed the need for possible geometric improvement and grade separators as a short-term solution. On junction improvement measures, the PSU suggested improvement in geometric design, which would entail improvement in roundabout size (if exists), curves, lane marking, signage etc. It also suggested the provision of bus bays with shelters and auto bays about 100 m from the junctions and relocation of the existing bus stops near the intersections. Entry/exit to service lanes can be provided on the approach arms at an appropriate distance from the junction and an improvement in the alignment of approach roads can be proposed to remove bottlenecks for an easy movement of traffic from the intersections.