Heritage panel seeks 3D view of proposed PGI-Sarangpur flyover

The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) has asked the UT Engineering Department to provide a 3D view of the proposed flyover from the PGIMER to Sarangpur.

Intended to end traffic congestion on the PGIMER-Sarangpur route, the proposed flyover is not a heritage site, but its approval had been granted by the CHCC. The committee had earlier asked the Engineering Department to keep the flyover out of the city’s sectoral grid and shift the location further towards the village area.

According to officials, the committee has also sought data related to the traffic on the route. The Engineering Department was likely to submit a 3D view of the flyover within a fortnight, said officials and after getting approval of the committee, the project would be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the final approval.

The UT Road Safety Committee had recently recommended the construction of a flyover from the PGIMER till the Botanical Garden in Sarangpur. The committee had identified five high-congestion zones in the UT, and termed the Khuda Lahora road the most critical choking point.

According to the committee, the road leading to Khuda Lahora and Khuda Jassu witnesses frequent traffic jams caused by pedestrians in the absence of footpaths, school-related parking, encroachments and poor drainage. Auto-rickshaws stopping in the middle of the road to pick up and drop off passengers and vehicles taking a U-turn at sharp cuts further hinder the flow of traffic.

To ease the traffic woes, the committee proposed certain measures, including the construction of a flyover from the bridge at Khuda Jassu near the PGI to the Botanical Garden, creation of footpaths by shifting the school boundary wall, immediate removal of encroachments and widening the existing road to 200 ft for the traffic heading towards Mullanpur.

Initially proposed in 2020, the 1.75-km flyover, encompassing a 1.3-km elevated stretch, was temporarily shelved due to Covid. The UT Administration resumed work on the project in 2023.

Officials said various clearances, including environmental, would be obtained before finalising the design and cost of the project. The estimated cost of the elevated road was Rs 90 crore, with a planned width of around 19.1 m and a carriageway width of 17.5 m. The four-lane elevated road will provide a smooth travel for those commuting from the city to New Chandigarh and Baddi in HP and vice versa.