Vikas Path rotary project hangs fire

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Chandigarh, July 19

Around one-and-a half year ago, the Engineering Wing of the UT Administration had set out to remove the three ‘blackspots’ on Vikas Path. Three intersections were to be turned into roundabouts to curb accidents of vehicles in high speed. The engineering wing completed the two, taking great pains to mitigate every chance of a fatality by reducing the height of the roundabout, constructing six-foot-wide paver block strip circumventing the structure, putting up reflector strips and what not. But they left the third one, the most fatal blackspot, midway.

Since then, earth mounds greet the vehicles plying from Sector 48 to Sector 43 side in the middle of the roundabout. The main road carved out economically leaves the two-wheelers and smaller vehicles jostling for space with the heavy vehicles.

The entry and exit from Sector 45-46 roadside towards Sector 49-50 and vice-versa is how a bad road design looks. Thanks to the Chandigarh Police picket here, the spot is blessed with two blindspots. The maze of blinking traffic lights all around keeps the driver guessing.

Daily commuters complain that after digging up the intersection, the administration forgot to wind it up.

“Look at the condition of one of the most fatal blackpots in the city. Ironically, the whole point of turning an intersection to a rotary was to remove the blackspot. See, what Engineering Department experts drawing salary in lakhs have come up with,” said Jagwinder Singh Boparai, a Phase IX, Mohali resident.

In December 2022, the engineering wing began the work at three traffic light junctions on the Vikas Marg with an aim that there will be no light point on the stretch starting from the road separating Sectors 48/47 and culminating at the Sector 56/39 section. The tin drums placed on side of the road act as barricades and the uneven stretch of road acts as a speed breaker here.

There are 11 intersections on this stretch. All of these have rotaries, except the most fatal one.

“Since it is Sector 45-46-49-50 rotary, the officials can afford to take it easy. Have you seen a rotary dug up for a year in northern sectors,” said a Sector 50 resident who stays near the spot.

Vijay Bansal, Sector 46 resident, said, “The Chandigarh Police post here is on the way out to give a clear view to vehicles coming from Sector 49-50 side.”

Accident at site killed three in 2014

On August 23, 2014, five persons — three college students and a newly married couple — died and 15 were injured in a collision between an HRTC luxury bus and a car at this spot. After this, the Chandigarh traffic police and the Engineering Department set out to prepare a detailed report to prevent such accidents. Ten years later, the result is there for everyone to see. On an average, three to four fatal accidents used to take place here every year. However, the frequency of mishaps has come down considerably now.