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₹790-cr road project delay may derail carpeting in Mohali
With procedural delays and ongoing litigation slowing the process, officials now indicate that large-scale resurfacing may have to be deferred until October
Key roads across Mohali are set to deteriorate further as the crucial March-April recarpeting season is likely to be missed due to delays in finalising a ₹790-crore tender jointly floated by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and the municipal corporation (MC) Mohali.
The ambitious project, which envisages upgradation, resurfacing and beautification of 27 roads and major junctions, has yet to be awarded. With procedural delays and ongoing litigation slowing the process, officials now indicate that large-scale resurfacing may have to be deferred until October, when weather conditions become favourable again.
The March-April period is considered ideal for annual recarpeting due to moderate temperatures that ensure better bonding of road material. Missing this window could leave several arterial stretches unattended for months, prolonging inconvenience for residents and commuters.
According to GMADA’s road wing officials, the ₹790-crore tender covers nearly 82 kilometres of major roads. These include Airport Road, PR-7 Road, the Sector 88-89 roads, the Franco Chowk to Balongi stretch, the Sector 88-87 road, roads across Sectors 80 and 81 up to Sector 84, and the Sector 85 stretch extending towards Sectors 99, 100 and 104, among other key connectors across Mohali.
“With the tender facing multiple challenges in the courts, GMADA is yet to finalise the process and allot the work to a private firm. Though we are speeding up the procedure, it will take at least one month to allot the work,” officials said, adding that repair work can only begin by mid-April at the earliest.
Contractors have moved the Punjab and Haryana high court, alleging that GMADA has structured the project to favour ‘one-big’ contractors by clubbing 27 roads into a single tender. They have also argued that at least 15 of these roads were constructed or re-carpeted within the past two to five years and do not require immediate overhaul.
Apart from the major project, GMADA is currently carrying out repairs on only a 4-km stretch from Kumbra to the Bawa White House stretch at an estimated cost of ₹8 crore – a small fraction compared to the overall requirement.
Separately, the MC is separately processing a tender to repair internal city roads and sector dividing roads that are not included in the GMADA project. “We will repair the internal roads with approximately ₹23 crore during the upcoming recarpeting period,” said MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh.
In the meantime, commuters continue to struggle with potholes, damaged surfaces and uneven stretches across several parts of the city. Residents complain of frequent traffic bottlenecks, vehicle damage and heightened safety risks, particularly during peak hours.
