Construction of mini bypass brings relief for devotees heading to Sri Anandpur Sahib

Residents of Garhshankar have long struggled with traffic congestion, as the roads passing through the town frequently witness heavy jams. However, there is welcome relief for devotees travelling to Sri Anandpur Sahib for the annual Hola Mohalla festival. To ease traffic movement, the head of Kar seva at Qila Sri Anandgarh Sahib, Baba Satnam Singh, has constructed a temporary bypass road within three days.

The new stretch has been created by laying soil along both sides of the Bist Doab canal embankment for vehicles coming from Jalandhar and Banga. The initiative is expected to significantly help regulate traffic flow during peak movement of devotees.

The demand for a permanent bypass in Garhshankar has been pending for decades. Political parties—whether in power or seeking it—have repeatedly promised that a bypass would be constructed once they form the government. However, after coming to power, the issue has consistently been side-lined.

Garhshankar serves as a key junction with roads leading to Chandigarh, Amritsar, Una, Nangal, Nawanshahr, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and even towards Jammu. Despite frequent movement of senior politicians and officials on these routes, the town’s traffic woes have largely remained ignored.

Locals now hope that the road constructed by the saintly leader and his team will provide much-needed relief from recurring traffic jams.