E-Paper
After 9 deaths in 3 years, UT plans ₹37L road safety project on NH-5
The move comes against the backdrop of alarming accident data. Police records show that the junction alone witnessed nine fatal crashes between 2023 and 2025, with fatalities rising sharply from one in 2023 to four each in 2024 and 2025
In a bid to address rising fatalities on one of the most dangerous road stretches, the Chandigarh engineering department has proposed a ₹37 lakh road safety project on the Hallo Majra light point–cum–Poultry Farm Chowk stretch on NH-5, identified as the city’s deadliest accident black spot.
The project includes installation of single-side double W-beam metal crash barriers designed to reduce the impact of accidents on high-risk stretches. As per specifications, the barriers will comprise 300 mm wide, 3 mm thick corrugated steel beams, mounted on vertical steel channel posts spaced at 2-metre intervals.
Two levels of metal beams will be fixed to provide enhanced protection for different types of vehicles. Officials said the installation will be carried out as per ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) specifications, ensuring compliance with national safety standards.
Deadliest black spot in city
The move comes against the backdrop of alarming accident data. Police records show that the junction alone witnessed nine fatal crashes between 2023 and 2025, with fatalities rising sharply from one in 2023 to four each in 2024 and 2025.
A broader analysis of notified black spots in Chandigarh points to a worrying trend, with at least 26 fatal accidents and several cases of grievous injuries reported across key locations in the same period.
Officials attribute the high accident rate on the Hallo Majra–Poultry Farm corridor to a combination of structural and traffic related issues like high-speed highway traffic on the Chandigarh–Ambala route, unsafe merging of slow-moving vehicles like cycles and two-wheelers with fast traffic, heavy vehicular load, including trucks and buses entering the city, poorly designed medians at entry and exit points.
The situation is particularly critical at Poultry Farm Chowk, where local movement from Hallo Majra and Industrial Area Phase I intersects with highway traffic. Despite significant pedestrian and cyclist movement, the junction lacks footpaths, cycle tracks and dedicated crossing signals.
Officials said the W-beam metal crash barriers will act as protective shields at vulnerable locations by preventing vehicles from veering off the road and minimising the impact of collisions.
