Ludhiana: Chaos rules as stretch leading to Bharat Nagar Chowk closed temporarily
Commuters were left frustrated as a massive traffic jam paralysed the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan Road, which connects Mall Road and Ferozepur Road.
Confusion and chaos ruled the stretch leading to the mini-secretariat from Bharat Nagar Chowk in Ludhiana on Wednesday after it was temporarily closed for traffic due to the installation of girders at the construction site of the elevated road.
Commuters were left frustrated as a massive traffic jam paralysed the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan Road, which connects Mall Road and Ferozepur Road.
The move to close the one of the busiest crossroads of the city for the traffic during the festival days has invited criticism from the locals, who say that the authorities should have taken the decision to close the crossroad after Diwali next month.
To ease the flow of traffic, the traffic police made the decision to allow two-way movement of vehicles on the usually designated one-way stretch from Ferozepur Road to Mall Road. However, this adjustment only caused snail-paced movement as vehicles eagerly attempted to make their way through the congested lane.
This inconvenience is expected to persist for about a week, as the installation of girders is a crucial phase of the ongoing construction project of the elevated road.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, Traffic), Charanjiv Lamba, revealed that a total of 18 girders need to be installed at the site. It is estimated that it will take approximately a week to complete this process.
In further efforts to manage the situation, the ACP stated that during this one-week period, traffic will be allowed to move in both directions on the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan Road. Additionally, the contractor has been instructed to provide a 20-foot space along the BSNL Exchange building wall on Bharat Nagar Chowk Road.
After the installation of the girders, casting work will commence, which is expected to take an additional three weeks to complete. During this period, the 20-foot space along the BSNL Exchange wall will serve as a service lane for traffic heading towards the mini secretariat from the Bharat Nagar Chowk side.
In light of the inconvenience caused by this move, the ACP has appealed to residents to avoid the Bharat Nagar Chowk stretch until absolutely necessary. It is advised to seek alternative routes or modes of transportation to minimise the impact on daily commuting.
Amritpal Singh, a resident of Model Town, said that the city has more traffic during festival days as compared to other days. The authorities should have closed the crossroad after Diwali.
Narinder Sharma, a Haibowal resident, said that sensing the festival season, the authorities should open the traffic at Bharat Nagar chowk in the evening. The authorities should work in the first half of the day and in the evening the passage should be open for traffic. Closure of the crossroad would bring problems for city residents.