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Demand for elevated road: Badal says check feasibility first
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has directed the public works department (PWD) to look at the feasibility of demand for an elevated road corridor over Urban Estate locality in the city and then pursue the matter with the central government.
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has directed the public works department (PWD) to look at the feasibility of demand for an elevated road corridor over Urban Estate locality in the city and then pursue the matter with the central government.
The directions came after a delegation of area residents led by local MLA Brahm Mohindra met the CM in his office in Chandigarh on Thursday evening.
Following the directions, additional chief secretary (B&R) NS Kalsi has deputed chief engineer AK Singla, who is heading the national highways division, to inspect the area on Saturday and submit the assessment report at the earliest.
Singla told HT that during his visit to Patiala he would conduct a spot assessment along with area residents and try to find out the best possible solution to provide them alternate inter-sector connectivity.
Urban Estate residents, it is learnt, are upset over the fact that their existing direct accessibility between various sectors is being snapped due to the ongoing widening the Patiala-Zirakpur highway.
About the possibility of the elevated road as demanded by area residents, Singla said, “Since the cost of per kilometre is not allowed to go beyond `11 crore many such proposals of vehicular under passes and elevated roads were cancelled by the transport ministry at initial stage due to financial constraints.
But we are still open for deliberations on a number of alternatives, including vehicle underpass and pursue the matter with the central authorities, he said. MLA Mohindra said the problem could not be sorted out without constructing an elevated corridor over the highway that divides various sectors on both sides. He said the CM was apprised of the issue and the latter agreed to the fact that residents of Urban Estate will suffer once their existing connectivity will be snapped due to the widening project.
The alternate connectivity, he said, is very important since residents will have to travel at least 2-3 km to reach either side after risking their lives through the main highway.
Urban Estate Residential Welfare Association president RS Bhinder said with CM’s intervention, residents were hopeful of concrete solution since they can’t be left in the lurch due to the widening project.
Vice-president of association DC Gupta said there is possibility of a corridor here if the authorities revise some of the areas where unnecessary expenditure is being incurred. He said the project has provision of six-foot bridges from Zirakpur to Patiala at an estimated cost of `20 crore which must be avoided since it is a failed concept.
“Several such bridges are lying underutilised across the country,” he said.
