Entry gate at P’kula-Chandigarh border opens for traffic today

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 21 

The construction of a welcome gate at the Panchkula-Chandigarh border near Housing Board Chowk is almost complete and the finishing touches are being given. The road leading from the roundabout of Sector 7-8-18-17 to the Housing Board and inversely, which was closed on July 11, will open for traffic tomorrow evening.

The Panchkula Municipal Corporation had informed the officials of the Panchkula and Chandigarh Administration and the police on July 1 about the closing of the road.

The corporation officials had increased the deadline to July 22 as the work on the project remained stopped for two days due to heavy rain that lashed the region on July 13 and 14. The gate has now been erected and final touches were being given to complete the same.

MC Commissioner-cum-Administrator Rajesh Jogpal said the work of the entry gate, which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, would be completed on July 22 and the same would be opened the same evening.

The MC is to construct about five entry gates at various places in the district, including Kalka, Pinjore, Raipur Rani and Barwala. Besides, about 55 entry gates, including 21 villages in the Panchkula zone and 32 villages in the Kalka Pinjore zone, would be constructed at a cost of Rs 177.5 lakh and Rs 219.55 lakh, respectively. The work on the entry gates in the villages had been started, while the work on the four major entry gates to the district for which work tender had been allotted would start soon. 

Meanwhile, the railway crossing in Sector 19 would be closed for traffic due to the construction of the railway over bridge (ROB) and people living in Sector 19 would have to go to other parts of Panchkula through K-Area in Zirakpur or railway crossing in Raipur Khurd. The ROB was being constructed by Chiranjee Lal Gupta and Sons Pvt Limited and the cost of the project was about Rs 30 crore.