Chandigarh: Long-awaited relief for commuters on one of the Tricity’s most congested corridors appears closer, with construction of a six-lane elevated road between Poultry Farm Chowk and Zirakpur set to begin within the current financial year. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is fast-tracking the project to make the entire stretch from Industrial Chowk to the Zirakpur boundary signal-free.A senior UT official said, “CivilMantra Infracon Private Limited has been appointed as the consultant to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for decongesting the nearly 3-km stretch from Poultry Farm Chowk in Chandigarh to the Zirakpur flyover.”The proposed elevated corridor is aimed at easing chronic traffic bottlenecks on NH-05, particularly at Old Airport Chowk, Hallomajra T-point and Poultry Farm Chowk, which see daily snarls during peak hours. Officials said the project is expected to improve traffic flow, road safety and overall urban mobility for commuters heading towards Mohali and Zirakpur.The consultant will assess the existing alignment, explore bypass options at congestion hotspots, evaluate multiple design alternatives and recommend the most viable solution based on techno-economic and feasibility parameters. According to officials, tendering for the main project is likely by December 2026, with allotment and construction expected to begin by March 2027.“The objective is to eliminate traffic signals along the entire stretch from the Industrial Area flyover up to the Zirakpur border,” the official said, adding that this section is among the worst traffic-choked zones in the city.Authorities noted that completing only the Industrial Area flyover would merely push congestion further towards Poultry Farm Chowk, Hallomajra and Old Airport Chowk. This realisation prompted the decision to extend the elevated corridor all the way to Zirakpur.The move also revisits elements of a 2016 plan announced by Union minister Nitin Gadkari for a longer flyover along this NH-05 stretch. That proposal was later scaled down to a 1.6-km flyover at the Industrial Area due to cost considerations. Under the current plan, the existing flyover will remain unchanged, while new elevated sections are proposed, likely starting after the road-under-bridge near Hallomajra Chowk.The push gained momentum last year following a MoRTH-convened meeting in Delhi involving stakeholders from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), where it was agreed that MoRTH’s Chandigarh regional office would prepare the DPR to address traffic congestion across this busy corridor.BOX1: THE PROJECTProposed in 2016 as part of the larger plan, later dropped after the initial project was scaled down. Revived in 2025 after MoRTH took views of all stakeholders, including Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, on the issue.WHAT THE PROJECT WILL ENTAIL:3-km six-lane elevated flyover corridor Underpasses at junctions Service roads expansionWHY THE PROJECT IS IMPORTANTCurrently, this stretch is considered one of the worst traffic bottlenecks (Poultry Chowk, Hallomajra T-point, and Old Airport Chowk) in Tricity Existing flyover near Industrial Area may shift congestion further toward Zirakpur; hence this extension is planned.MoRTH plans to make the entire stretch from Industrial Area Chowk to Zirakpur signal-freeLEGAL CLOUD OVER INDUSTRIAL AREA FLYOVEREven as the work allotment on the construction of the Industrial Area flyover-underpass-rotary project is likely to be given by the end of this month, the project is still under litigation.A petition challenging the construction of the Industrial Area flyover is scheduled to come for hearing on April 22. This is a second public interest litigation after the Run Club petition initially admitted in Sept 2019. The second petition was readmitted after the stay was vacated in the Run Club PIL in 2024 as the cause for action survived, according to the original high court ruling.This petition raised technical issues, the most important being the lack of statutory approvals for the project. The petition also contends that Grade 1 heritage will be damaged, including the trees and the view of the Shivalik hills.
