Mundian slams slow, poor quality work on Airport Road widening project

Visibly upset with the condition of the project, Mundian reprimanded officials and directed the principal secretary of the department to launch a thorough investigation

Punjab housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Mundian conducted a surprise inspection of the Airport Road widening project between the Sector 65/66 junction and Sector 66-B on Friday, expressing strong dissatisfaction over the slow progress and poor quality of work being carried out under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).

Munidian stated that quality standards must not be compromised and warned of stringent action against those responsible for delays and sub-standard execution, (HT File Photo)

GMADA is coming up with the alternate shorter route to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport.

Visibly upset with the condition of the project, Mundian reprimanded officials and directed the principal secretary of the department to launch a thorough investigation. He ordered strict accountability for all those involved, including GMADA staff and contractors.

“The ground reality is far from what’s being shown on paper. This is absolutely unacceptable,” Mundian said during the inspection. He firmly stated that quality standards must not be compromised and warned of stringent action against those responsible for delays and substandard execution.

Highlighting the importance of urban development, the minister added that the Mann-led government is committed to transparent, timely, and high-quality infrastructure projects—particularly in cities like Mohali, which has emerged as a major urban hub due to its proximity to the international airport and expanding corporate footprint.

“The planned and sustainable development of cities is central to our vision for a progressive Punjab. Any negligence or lack of seriousness in public infrastructure projects will not be tolerated,” Mundian asserted.

He further stated that GMADA plays a pivotal role in Mohali’s transformation and assured that he will continue to personally inspect ongoing projects to ensure adherence to quality and timelines.

The widening of Airport Road is a critical part of Mohali’s broader urban development agenda aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity. However, concerns over execution threaten to delay these much-needed improvements for residents and commuters alike.

The new route will reduce the distance for commuters from Chandigarh to the airport from 11.6 km to 8.5 km, thereby cutting travel time.

The shorter route will go via Sector Junction 65-66 (Bawa White House) to Sector 66-B.

Currently, the PR-7 road is the only link for traffic coming from Punjab and Haryana to reach the international airport in Mohali. This road is congested due to its connectivity with Zirakpur, Ambala, Aerocity, and IT City.

At present, commuters from Chandigarh must travel all the way to the T-junction near the Indian School of Business, pass Bawa White House, and then make a left turn towards Airport Chowk, before another left towards the airport.

Tejinder Singh Bhatia, managing director of Aeropolis City, Sector 66-A, says the new road will alleviate the traffic congestion on the existing Airport Road. It will be particularly advantageous for passengers travelling from distant locations such as Rajpura, Patiala, and Ludhiana to the airport. Moreover, the road passing through Sector 66-A will enhance connectivity to IT City and Aeropolis City, he said.