E-Paper
Ludhiana: Road repairs near Ishmeet Chowk railway crossing to ease traffic snarls
To the relief of commuters, the Railway department has started repairing the damaged road near Ishmeet Chowk railway crossing.
To the relief of commuters, the Railway department has started repairing the damaged road near Ishmeet Chowk railway crossing. A section of the road near the tracks had been left covered in gravel after the double-laning work between Ludhiana and Mullanpur near the crossing was completed in July of this year.
This crossing witnessed a sharp increase in traffic heading towards Model Town, Ferozepur Road and South City, especially after the diversion of heavy vehicles from the Southern Bypass flyover, as per locals.
Ishmeet Chowk is situated in the middle of a bustling market filled with cafes, bakeries, and restaurants. Additionally, the nearby presence of numerous schools and hospitals makes it a busy point for vehicular movement throughout the day.
Suraj, a delivery boy picking orders from the nearby restaurants, commented, “I usually avoid delivering orders from the restaurants near this crossing because the traffic is always hectic. The chances of accidents remain high, especially with the poor condition of the roads near tracks, which adds to our woes.”
The railway authorities had initiated road repair work on Friday at a cost of ₹6 lakh, aimed at easing the traffic situation at this junction.
Gurdyal Singh, a senior railway official, explained, “We are applying a 65 mm single layer of bituminous concrete over the granular surface to help reduce traffic congestion. The work was supposed to start 15 days ago, but it was delayed due to rain and the closure of hot mix plants.”
He further added, “This is only a two-day project but due to the heavy traffic, we are facing some difficulties in completing the work on time. People are not cooperating and are driving in the wrong lanes which hampers our progress as we can’t close the area to traffic.”
Commenting on the work, Singh assured that the work would be completed within two days.
