Rs 756-cr elevated highway in Ludhiana opens for traffic after 6 years

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, September 11

Finally, the much-awaited partially-access controlled four-lane elevated highway corridor in Ludhiana opened for traffic on Monday, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has claimed.

While vehicles started moving on the first span of the Rs 756.27-crore big ticket project this morning onwards, vehicular movement on the rest of the entire 12.95-km-long stretch would be allowed by September 30, officials have revealed.

The development assumes significance as the work on one of the busiest arteries of the city had already missed three deadlines of completion in April 2020, June 30 and July 31, 2023.

Started in October 2017, the construction of the elevated highway between the busy Samrala Chowk and Ludhiana municipal limits on National Highway-95 is now scheduled to complete in all respects by the month-end.

Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora, who reviewed the progress of the project here recently, told The Tribune, here on Monday, that the major part of the project had been completed with over 99 per cent overall completion so far while the work to finish the remaining work had been further expedited to ensure early completion.

He said the first span of the elevated highway from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to the Sidhwan Canal side was opened for traffic this morning, while the remaining three stretches — second span on its opposite side, third span towards the Jagraon bridge side and last span towards the ISBT side — would be thrown open by September 30.

Arora, who took a test drive on the completed first span of the highway, was apprised by NHAI officials that 220 men, 10 cranes, two overhead gantry, a batch-mix plant, seven hydra and transit mixers had been pressed into service to further escalate the pace of the ongoing work.

Constantly pushing for the completion of the ongoing NHAI projects, the Rajya Sabha MP urged the team of the officials concerned, led by the NHAI Project Director, to finish the balance work within the minimum possible time to complete the project.

“The NHAI team is working hard and seriously day and night. Even the NHAI has made arrangements for additional machinery to carry on the construction work without any interruption, if the existing machinery gets faulty,” he said.

Arora, who had recently called on NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav to press for the early completion of the project, said he had been informed that there would be four slip roads — one each near Verka Plant, PAU, Bhai Bala Chowk, and Hotel Park Plaza — on the elevated highway. There would also be a provision for vehicular traffic to move towards the bus stand and Shri Durga Mata Mandir, the MP was further apprised.

The Rajya Sabha member said the NHAI officials had also made an appeal to the public to follow guidelines of the NHAI and not to exceed speed of their vehicles above the permissible limit of 80 kmph on the elevated highway.

“I have observed that all norms with regard to the quality standards are being strictly followed by the NHAI in completing the project,” Arora expressed while patting the back of the official machinery for putting in their best efforts to bring the project to the advanced stage of completion.

Uninterrupted flow

The NH-95 section passing through the city was being constructed on the EPC mode under the NHDP, Phase IV.

The elevated highway, connecting Samrala chowk to the Ludhiana municipal limits till the Ferozepur road on the NH-05 in the city, will be six lane from Bharat Nagar to the municipal limits with two loops — one towards railway station and another towards ISBT.

The project entails six ramps — three each at exit and entry points, and a flyover at Cheema chowk with 320-m length, which has already been completed and opened for traffic by the then NHAI chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu here in February last.

The almost-complete elevated highway will provide uninterrupted flow of traffic to several government offices, including Mini-Secretariat, Commissioner of Police office, head post office and major business establishments.

Even as the construction work on the project had commenced on October 10, 2017, it could not be accelerated due to existing trees, electricity supply lines of 11, 66, and 220-KV, and presence of sewer and water supply lines at several locations.

While the Cheema chowk flyover was completed and opened to traffic in December 2020, the work from 9.5-km to 12.95-km, including two ramps on either side for exit and entry, will be completed shortly.

The work on the remaining portion of the project from Bharat Nagar to the canal will be completed by June.

Another mega project completed: RS MP

“With the opening of the elevated highway, another mega project has been completed. It will give a major reprieve to commuters on one of the busiest arteries in the city. It has been made possible after I took up the issue with Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari and NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav,” said Sanjeev Arora, Rajya Sabha MP.

Project report

Rs 756.27 crore Cost

Length: 12.951 km

Start date: October 10, 2017

Deadlines missed: April 7, 2020, June 30 and July 31, 2023

First span opened: September 11

Fresh deadline for remaining stretches: September 30

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