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₹8cr to light up tracks, ₹50 lakh to repair them to promote cycling in Chandigarh
Laying out new cycle tracks, repairing damaged ones and lighting up dark areas: The UT engineering department is gearing up to complete pending projects to motivate
Laying out new cycle tracks, repairing damaged ones and lighting up dark areas: The UT engineering department is gearing up to complete pending projects to motivate more people to take to bicycling even as the public bicycle sharing project was rolled out here on December 10.
Unlit tracks will be lit up at a cost of more than Rs 8 crore and the entire track network across the city overhauled at a cost of more than Rs 50 lakh.
New tracks will be laid out at a cost of around Rs 37 lakh. “While nearly 200 km of cycle tracks have been created in the city, there are some patches where the distinctive tracks are yet to be created. We are now planning to fill in these gaps. We have invited tenders for the construction of cycle tracks of paver blocks from junction 63 to junction 53 (from the direction of Sector 47C); and metalled road from junction 53 to junction 38 (from the direction of sector 31 B and C) along Purv Marg,” said a senior department official.
6,000 streetlight poles
Acting on people’s complaints that some areas are not well lit at night, installation work of nearly 6,500 street light poles has started along some tracks.
“The work will be completed in another month and a half. The stretch leading to the Sector 42 lake has already been covered and speeded up elsewhere. Poles are being erected alongside a cycle track near Sector 19,”said the official.
Lights of low intensity will cover the tracks but not disturb people in the neighbourhood, he added.
Repair and design fixes
As complaints have come in from cyclists about poor design of tracks, and damages, the department will overhaul these too, and complete the work in a month’s time. “For this, work has been divided in zones. In zone 1, repair of Rs 22 lakh will be taken up, while in the zone 2, the department will spend another Rs 28 lakh to repair the track and correct the designing elements. This will also make the tracks much safer,” the official said.
About 140 stands for 250 bicycles will be built from sectors 6 to 36 and in different parts of the city including Rock Garden, prominent markets, etc. “We have already installed a cycle stand at Sukhna Lake which can accommodate around 250 cycles at a time,” he added.
