Big relief for commuters as overpass functional at Solan

bika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 1

The much-awaited overpass, which is part of the Parwanoo-Solan four-laning work, was made functional at Saproon Chowk today.

This will provide a major relief to commuters as traffic jams had become a routine affair at Saproon while this overpass was being constructed. Work to construct this overpass had begun in September last year.

Commuters will be saved from the hassle of driving through a steep curve near the gurdwara on the highway as this overpass provides direct entry to Saproon Chowk.

This highway is used by commuters travelling to the state capital of Shimla and is therefore a key stretch. The overpass will also facilitate the trucks engaged in the transportation of apples.

Balwinder Singh, project manager, GR Infraprojects, which is engaged in the four-laning of this highway, said, “The completion of this overpass will help divert the traffic coming from Shimla and it will put an end to traffic chaos at Saproon junction, where three roads converge.”

He said now, barely two per cent of the 39-km four-laning work from Parwanoo-Solan was left and they would try to complete it in the coming days.

Saproon Chowk provides access to Solan town from the highway and is also joined by another bylane near gurdwara.

Project Director, National Highways Authority of India, Suresh Sharma, who also inspected the overpass today, said, “The overpass is a key structure constructed at Saproon Chowk as part of the four-laning work between Parwanoo and Solan section of the National Highway-5. Traffic bottlenecks at this chowk will be removed now.”

Notably, this four-laning work, worth Rs 748 crore, which began in September 2015, was initially assigned for a 30-month period. It was inaugurated in June this year as 97 per cent work as per its original scope was completed. Later, its scope was changed as a viaduct bridge was added at Parwanoo, among other changes. The work to complete the bridge is also in its final stages.

Work to four-lane the highway ahead of Solan till Kaithlighat ia being undertaken by another private firm.