E-Paper
Ludhiana: Bhai Bala intersection to be closed from today; commuters to bear the brunt
Traffic congestion for commuters on the under-construction part of the Ferozepur Road is set to get even more severe, as the busy Bhai Bala intersection will be partially closed from Sunday due to ongoing construction of the elevated road by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
Traffic congestion for commuters on the under-construction part of the Ferozepur Road is set to get even more severe, as the busy Bhai Bala intersection will be partially closed from Sunday due to ongoing construction of the elevated road by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Traffic between the mini secretariat and Aarti Chowk will be shifted to the slip road on both sides, while the passage from and towards Ghumar Mandi and Pakhowal Road will be closed. Commuters hitting the intersection from Pakhowal Road and Ghumar Mandi will have to take a detour on the slip lanes.
To control flow of traffic, roundabouts (U-turns) have been created within 100 metres of the intersection towards each side of Ferozepur road. The proposed traffic diversion plan will remain in effect for a period of four to six weeks, the traffic police said.
NHAI officials said the road has been closed so that the work of placing girders on pillars on the central part of the road can be carried out.
Notably, the Bhai Bala intersection, which is the meeting point of vehicles coming from and going towards Bharat Nagar Chowk, Ghumar Mandi, Pakhowal Road and Aarti Chowk, already witnesses long traffic snarls in peak hours. As the traffic coming from Aarti Chowk towards Ghumar Mandi will be shifted on the already dilapidated narrow slip road, long jams are expected on the stretch.
The lane, which houses a number of commercial establishments, also witnesses traffic bottlenecks and jams due to illegal parking. The traffic police said towing teams will be deployed to take action against those who park illegally.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, traffic-1), Charanjiv Lamba said the traffic police had instructed the construction company to provide smooth and wide passage for the commuters, and it is expected that motorists will bear minimum inconvenience due to the diversion.
He added that signboards signalling diversions have been installed by the authorities at various points on the road and traffic police personnel will remain present to ease flow of vehicles.
A number of residents shared concern over the traffic situation on the road known as the commercial vein of the city. Sumit Arora, a resident of the south city, said commuters were left stranded for as long as two hours when the intersection was blocked in December. He added that as no major repair work has been undertaken on the slip roads either.
The elevated road project extending from Samrala Chowk to Octroi on Ferozepur Road began in October 2017. While it was supposed to be completed by 2020 initially, the deadline has now been pushed to July 2023.
