E-Paper
Panchkula: ₹20-cr Ghaggar bridge work begins, to ease traffic woes
According to officials, the new bridge will ease traffic management in the area by allowing one-way traffic on each bridge, reducing congestion and improving travel time
Residents of Panchkula’s trans-Ghaggar sectors are set to get long-awaited relief from chronic traffic congestion with the commencement of construction of a new bridge over the Ghaggar river. The project is expected to significantly ease peak-hour traffic, ensuring smoother movement of commuters while providing faster passage for emergency vehicles, including ambulances and school buses that frequently get caught in long queues.
A Bhiwani-based company, which was allotted the project on April 2 by the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA), stated that the construction work has been initiated now. To be built parallel to the existing bridge, connecting the Sector 3/21 dividing road with the Sector 23/25 dividing road, the project is estimated to cost around ₹20 crore. The agency has been given two years to complete the project, with March 22, 2028, fixed as the deadline.
According to officials, the new bridge will ease traffic management in the area by allowing one-way traffic on each bridge, reducing congestion and improving travel time. A dedicated lane will be available for emergency vehicles, while 1.5-metre-wide footpaths will be constructed on both sides to ensure pedestrian safety.
The bridge will also strengthen regional connectivity by facilitating smoother movement of vehicles from Ramgarh, Barwala, Raipur Rani and Himachal Pradesh. The structure will be approximately 334 metres long and 14 metres wide.
The need for the project has grown with the rapid development of residential sectors across the Ghaggar river. The existing bridge has become inadequate to handle the increasing volume of traffic, with thousands of vehicles using it daily. During peak hours, traffic congestion often results in long delays, affecting emergency services, school buses and daily commuters.
The new bridge is expected to not only reduce travel time but also lower fuel consumption and vehicular emissions by easing traffic flow. In April last year, another 1.8-km-long bridge over the Ghaggar river, connecting the Sector 25/26 roundabout with the Sector 20/21 junction, was opened to traffic.
