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Ludhiana: MC starts Mall Road widening to tackle Bharat Nagar Chowk traffic
About 350 square metres of land is being acquired to expand the narrow stretch of Mall Road, one of the city’s busiest junctions
In an effort to provide relief from traffic congestion, the municipal corporation (MC) has started demolishing abandoned quarters of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) located on Mall Road near Bharat Nagar Chowk to pave the way for road widening.
About 350 square metres of land is being acquired to expand the narrow stretch of Mall Road, one of the city’s busiest junctions. This site figures among 18 traffic bottlenecks identified by the road safety council as requiring urgent intervention.
The demolition work began after the MC received a no-objection certificate from PWSSB. The quarters, which had remained unused for several years, were found suitable for removal to improve traffic circulation on this heavily used road.
Officials said the narrow road width near Bharat Nagar Chowk often leads to traffic snarls, particularly during peak hours, causing inconvenience to daily commuters. To address the issue, the junction was included in the list of major congestion points across Ludhiana.
The problem areas were identified last year in May during a comprehensive review conducted by cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora, along with senior police officials and members of the road safety council.
Rahul Verma, a member of the road safety council, said that out of the 18 identified bottlenecks, several require minor adjustments on government land. He added that work at the Mall Road location has already commenced, and similar projects at four more locations will be taken up shortly.
With the additional land, the width of Mall Road near Bharat Nagar Chowk will be increased substantially. The plan also includes the construction of a slip lane and realignment of the road median to ensure smoother vehicle movement and safer turns at the intersection.
MC chief audits night shelters
Civic body officials said that 200 mattresses, blankets, room heaters, and other items were recently added to the existing infrastructure to facilitate the homeless visiting the shelters. Renovation work has also been undertaken wherever required.
The civic body has also tied up with different NGOs and Gurudwara management committees to provide food to the homeless at the night shelters. City buses have been deployed to ferry the homeless to the shelters during the night hours.
Dachalwal said that the concerned officials of the civic body have been directed to ensure the regular maintenance of the night shelters and ensure that the homeless do not face any problems. He further said that zonal commissioners have been directed to ensure the proper functioning of the night shelters falling under their respective zones.
