DC reviews infra, traffic projects

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain chaired a meeting of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) on Monday to address issues concerning national highways, city traffic, railways, and civic infrastructure.

The meeting was attended by officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department (PWD), Punjab Roadways, PRTC, Transport Department, Revenue, Forest, PSIEC, and other departments concerned.

During the discussions, the authorities reviewed the progress of several ongoing NHAI projects, including the Delhi-Katra Expressway, Ludhiana-Bathinda Greenfield Highway, Ludhiana-Rupnagar road, the elevated road on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur stretch, missing links, 200-ft road, Dhandra road, and the cycle track in the Dhandari-Ladowal area. Other important matters taken up included regulation and registration of e-rickshaws, upgrading of railway stations along with construction of railway over and under bridges, removal of encroachments on Machhiwara and Rahon roads, shifting of police case property dumped on roadsides, proposed mini bus terminals on the outer ring road, introduction of e-buses, and broader measures to reduce traffic congestion across the city.

In a significant move to ease the heavy traffic on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway, the Deputy Commissioner directed the Public Works Department to prepare a detailed proposal for a new bypass connecting Kohara Chowk directly to GT Road (NH-44). He also instructed revenue officials to identify suitable alternative land for shifting seized vehicles and police case property currently lying on roadsides, which has been a major cause of traffic congestion. Punjab Roadways was asked to resubmit the earlier proposal for mini bus terminals along the southern outer ring road, while the Transport Department was told to ensure registration and display of registration numbers on all e-rickshaws operating in the city.

The DC stressed the importance of coordinated efforts among all departments to eliminate traffic bottlenecks and improve mobility for citizens, and announced that UMTA meetings would now be held regularly to monitor progress and resolve pending issues promptly.