PGI-Sarangpur flyover: Chandigarh heritage panel wants a 3D look before giving nod

In July, the UT administration had sent the project file to the Chandigarh Heritage Committee, the final authority for any projects requiring architectural changes that impact the city’s original planning.

Four months after the Chandigarh Heritage Committee gave its in-principle approval to the PGIMER-Sarangpur flyover project, the panel has now sought a 3D view of the proposal and detailed traffic data from the UT engineering department before granting the final clearance.

The project, first proposed in 2020, has already been hanging in balance for five years. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

The project, first proposed in 2020, has already been hanging in balance for five years.

In July, the administration had sent the project file to the Chandigarh Heritage Committee, the final authority for any projects requiring architectural changes that impact the city’s original planning.

The UT administration’s move followed strong recommendations from the road safety committee in April this year, which flagged the stretch as a major traffic bottleneck and urged immediate revival of the flyover project.

After reviewing the design, the committee concluded that the flyover did not interfere with the sectoral grid of the heritage sectors (Sectors 1-30) and granted its go-ahead in principle within a week.

UT chief engineer CB Ojha said, “We are preparing the 3D view and compiling traffic data for this route. The details will be submitted to the committee in the coming week for final approval. Once cleared, the project proposal will be forwarded to the central government for sanction.”

This will be the second flyover project to move ahead in Chandigarh after the Tribune Flyover, which recently received an in-principle approval from the Centre.

According to officials, the tendering and allotment process for the project will take around two months, while the construction period is estimated at 18 months.

“If things proceed as planned, the flyover is expected to be ready by March 2027,” said a senior official from the engineering department.

Originally proposed in 2020, the flyover project has faced multiple setbacks. Even after the geotechnical study and feasibility report were completed, the project was shelved in February 2023 following the announcement of a Metro corridor along the same route.

However, the proposal was revived after a fresh survey conducted under the supervision of deputy commissioner and road safety committee chairperson Nishant Kumar Yadav, which identified the stretch as a major traffic bottleneck. To address the overlap with the proposed Metro line, the UT engineering department suggested a double-decker structure — one level for Metro tracks and another for vehicular movement — in June this year.