Chandigarh Administration awaits Advisory Council’s decision

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, August 25

The much-hyped city’s first flyover proposed at the Tribune Chowk continues to hang fire with the UT Administration still waiting for a decision of the UT Administrator’s Advisory Council on the project.

The Advisory Council was to examine the report prepared by the Technical Committee of the UT Administration on the proposed flyover before a final decision was taken on the project. The committee was formed to look for alternatives to the flyover on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

UT Adviser Manoj Parida said the Administration would take the final decision on the project after getting valuable suggestions from the Advisory Council.

Sources said a meeting of the council could be held through video-conferencing in view of the Covid-19 pandemic soon.

On a petition filed by the Run Club against the cutting and uprooting of trees for the flyover, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the construction of the flyover in November 2019 and had asked for public opinion to find an alternative to the flyover at the Tribune Chowk.

A majority of the residents, professionals and architects opposed the flyover at a public hearing held last year.

Seven models were submitted to the committee following the public hearing. According to information, the technical committee had rejected all seven alternatives to the flyover.

After getting suggestions from the Advisory Council, the UT?Administration will submit its decision on the construction of the Tribune flyover before the High Court. The next date of hearing is October 9.

Initially, the Administration had planned a 7-km-long flyover, but the Union Government reduced the length to 3.5 km. Later, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways further reduced the length of the flyover to 1.2 km.

If the UT Administration gets approval from the High Court, the flyover could be constructed in three phases as a permanent solution to the traffic problem, the sources said.