Crores spent, but roads, bridges in New Chandigarh still incomplete

Blame it on the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), the road and bridge network in New Chandigarh is far from satisfactory.

The PR-4 road connecting Kurali and New Chandigarh, Boothgarh-Togan road, Dhanas-Mullanpur road and the internal VR-6 road stretches are lying unfinished even after crores being spent on them

Despite being billed as a posh area, multiple civic deficiencies have been flagged. The development authoritiy and the administration officials, meanwhile, face criticism for the slow progress of development work.

Take for example the bridge on the Boothgarh-Togan road. Completed almost two years back, one side of the bridge has not been connected with the approach roads. Local residents say GMADA officials do not take action against the delay. “Last year, earth-moving machines excavated at the base of the bridge to connect a ramp with the road. Kansala, Kartarpur Palheri, Takipur, Omaxe. Around 15 Block Majri villages’ residents complained that earth was being excavated indiscriminately close to the pillars of the newly constructed bridge structure, thereby putting its structural stability at great risk,” they added.

Road ùsers from Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ropar and Amritsar have to face the inconvenience due to the incomplete patch.

GMADA had set a deadline of December 2023 to finish the project but the deadline was shifted to March 2024. Failing to complete the work, the development authority, in a reply to PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court, gave an affidavit promising it to be completed by February 2025. However, almost a year later, the work is still incomplete.

Every year, during IPL or international matches, GMADA renews its promise to complete the project by next year. However, the end result remains the same.

More than four years after the construction of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, not much has changed and visitors are set to be hassled again as the venue will host India and South Africa for a T20I match on Thursday (December 11).

Residents complained that it has been more than three years but one side of the bridge on the Boothgarh-Togan road is yet to joined with the other end.

The 9-km PR 4 road connecting Kurali to New Chandigarh sums up the state of road network in the area. Besides causing inconvenience to the road users, the unfinished roads are a major safety hazard. The lighting on the vast, secluded stretches of road at night in winters and foggy weather is an open invitation to mishaps as heavy vehicles ply on the road.

Even after more than three years, GMADA has failed to complete the road and make it fully functional. PK Gupta, resident of the Omaxe township, said the deteriorating condition of VR-6 road has been highlighted to the authorities on multiple occasions but no action is taken.

GMADA officials, already under fire for multiple civic deficiencinces in Eco-City area, said the work will be comepleted soon.