Ludhiana: Another leg of elevated road opens

Earlier, the authorities had opened one leg of the elevated road from Bhai Bala Chowk to Sidhwan Canal on September 11

The recently completed one leg of the elevated road between Sidhwan Canal and Bhai Bala Chowk opened for traffic on Thursday.

HT Image

Earlier, the authorities had opened one leg of the elevated road from Bhai Bala Chowk to Sidhwan Canal on September 11.

This development would provide a seamless route for commuters, drastically reducing travel time and traffic congestion in the city after completion of the whole project.

However, due to the ongoing construction work, the recent development failed to bring much relief to the commuters. On the first day of opening, traffic jam was witnessed on the stretch. Vehicle stuck in the jam on the down ramp of the recently opened leg.

The opening of the leg was delayed following the protest by farmers outside the mini- secretariat seeking arrest of an accused of abetment to suicide after a farmer had allegedly committed suicide. After the farmers lifted the protest, the authorities opened the leg.

Rahul Verma, member of Road Safety Council, Punjab, said that currently, construction work is in progress to extend the elevated road from Bhai Bala Chowk to Bharat Nagar Chowk and then further towards Bus Stand Road. Once this phase is completed, traffic flow in the city will be further streamlined, greatly improving connectivity.

Ashok Kumar, an official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said that the project was completed timely. After completion of the project, it will be minimising disruptions to the daily lives of commuters. He also mentioned that the project’s progress is ahead of schedule.

Residents and commuters remain optimistic about the positive impact this elevated road project will have on their daily routines. They emphasise the importance of infrastructure development in the city for a brighter future.

Narinder Sharma, a resident of Haibowal, said that he was excited about the opening of another leg of the elevated road, but was disappointed after he was stuck in the jam on the down ramp for at least 15 minutes.

The project

The elevated road project, spanning 12.95 kilometers, is being constructed from Octroi Post on Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road to Samrala Chowk at a cost of ₹756.27 crore. The work on the project began in October 2017 which was about to be completed in April 2020. However, currently, only the Cheema Chowk flyover and the part of the elevated road between Octroi Post and Bhai Bala Chowk have been completed. Authorities expect the project work to be completed up to Bharat Nagar Chowk by the end of this year.