Flyover deadline now 2020: NHAI

Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service
Mohali, May 4

While the possession of around 4.5 km of land required for the 10.6-km-long Chandigarh-Kharar road project is yet to be taken, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is hopeful of its completion by January 2020. It has engaged Larsen & Toubro for the project.

KL Sachdeva, project director, NHAI, said the Mohali Administration had expedited the process of making payment of compensation a couple of months ago. “Our work is on. If we get the possession of the land required for the Rs 368 crore project soon, the project will hopefully be completed by January next year.”

But if one goes by the claims of sources in the construction company, the project would take 18 months to be completed, if construction begins in full swing forthwith.

Only 55 per cent of the total project work has been completed so far, sources say.

Mohali DC Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said the process to acquire 25 hectares for the project was underway and so was the possession of 300 structures, including shops, houses and buildings. “In the past three months, we have disbursed Rs 21 crore as compensation. The remaining payments of over Rs 200 crore will be made soon,” she said.

Notably, the Administration has received the entire relief amount from the NHAI.

Sapra said besides 300-odd structures, there were around 10 more structures, which have to be taken into possession. “The NHAI is holding direct talks with the owners of these structures,” said Sapra.

The hurdles

• Heavy traffic on the highway is one of the biggest hurdles in carrying out the project work. An L&T official said they get only six hours after midnight for smooth work. 
• 220 kV power lines cross over the flyover at three places—Khanpur, Sunny Enclave and TDI City. These lines need to be shifted before start of the flyover. 
• Another major impediment is a nearly 3-km sewer line. 

Started late

After delay of at least six months following protests by residents of Phase 6 and the management of a gurdwara there, the project took off in December 2016 with a 30-month deadline. Due to the protest, the NHAI authorities had to redesign the flyover, which was initially planned to start from Sector 39, Chandigarh. Earlier, it was planned to construct an elevated road from Sector 39. Later, the authorities shelved the previous designs of the project and revised the plan as a ‘mix of elevated and surface roads’.