Slip roads from Hallo Majra to Zirakpur border to be widened

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Advertisement

Chandigarh, June 15

For smooth flow of traffic, the UT Engineering Department has decided to widen the slow carriageways from Hallo Majra to the Zirakpur border and construct an eight-foot-wide cycle track from Tribune Chowk to the Zirakpur border.

Rs 9.5-cr project to be over in 9 months

• During peak hours, it takes motorists nearly 20-25 minutes to cover a distance of around 4 km from Hallo Majra to Zirakpur
• To remove bottleneck, width of the slip roads on both sides of the highway will be increased from 16 feet to 24 feet
• Two intersections at Hallo Majra and Raipur Khurd light points will be channelled for left and right turns to regulate traffic
• Tender has been floated and work may start next month; the project, to cost Rs 9.50 crore, will be completed in nine months

Motorists currently have to wait in long traffic jams during peak hours on the stretch. Especially during morning and evening hours, it takes them nearly 20-25 minutes to cover a distance of around 4 km.

To remove traffic bottlenecks, an official of the Engineering Department said a tender had been floated and work was likely to start next month. The width of the slow carriageways from the Hallo Majra light point to the Zirakpur border would be increased on both sides from 16 feet to 24 feet, while an 8-foot cycle track would be constructed on both sides of the road from Tribune Chowk to the Zirakpur border, he said, adding the project, which was likely to cost nearly Rs 9.50 crore, would be completed in nine months. The slow carriageways from Tribune Chowk to Hallo Majra Chowk are already 24 feet wide.

Synchronise traffic lights

}Widening of road will provide some relief to motorists. The authorities should also synchronise traffic lights during peak hours, which will ensure smooth flow of traffic and prevent long snarl-ups.Rs A regular commuter

The total width of the stretch from Hallo Majra to the Zirakpur border was 150 feet, which would be increased further once the work was completed, he said.

A few trees on both sides of the stretch had been removed for the road widening work and construction of cycle tracks, he said.

The two intersections at Hallo Majra light points and Raipur Khurd light points would be channelled for left and right turns to regulate traffic.

A regular traveller said it was one of the most congested roads in the city, especially during peak hours. “The widening of the road will provide some relief to motorists. The authorities should also synchronise traffic lights during peak hours, which will ensure smooth flow of traffic and prevent long snarl-ups,” he said.

A resident of a society, who commutes daily to her office in Sector 17, Chandigarh, said a large of people from Zirakpur travelled to the UT for job and had to often face jams on the stretch. The authorities should plan a flyover from the Airport light point to the Poultry Farm Chowk to ease traffic, she said.

To ensure smooth flow of traffic, the department had already closed openings between the slow carriageways from Tribune Chowk to the Zirakpur border.