Elevated road linking Madhya Marg to Sarangpur, Mullanpur in works

BETTER CONNECTIVITY Road to bypass two traffic bottlenecks in Khuda Jassu and Khuda Lahora

CHANDIGARH: For improved connectivity from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to the Sarangpur institutional area and New Chandigarh (Mullanpur), an elevated road connecting Madhya Marg to Sarangpur-Mullanpur four-lane road is in the works.

As per the UT administration plan, the road is to be constructed to bypass two major traffic bottlenecks - villages Khuda Jassu and Khuda Lahora - on the route to Sarangpur and New Chandigarh.

The elevated road is to start from Khuda Jassu high-level bridge and descend near the Botanical Garden in Sarangpur after crossing the two villages.

“The route is crucial for smooth traffic flow to Sarangpur institutional area, where a number of projects are slated to come up, including the extension campuses of PGIMER and Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16,” said a senior UT official privy to the development.

The PGIMER extension will be constructed over 50 acres and house the screening outpatient departments (OPDs), a 400-bed trauma centre and the oncology department.

The GMSH-16 affiliate centre is planned to come up on 15 acres in Sarangpur’s Education City. The administration has proposed to convert GMSH into city’s second medical college after Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32. It will have 100 seats.

“The elevated road will also help in improving connectivity to New Chandigarh and, through it, to Baddi industrial area in Himachal Pradesh,” the official said.

Currently, the road passing through the two villages is narrow and often leads to traffic jams. “With multiple high-ticket projects coming up in Sarangpur and New Chandigarh, the traffic volume to these areas will increase manifold in the coming years. So, need for better road connectivity was felt,” the official added.

Significantly, an alternative route connecting Chandigarh to New Chandigarh is already in the works from Dakshin Marg. The administration has initiated the land acquisition process for constructing the road for extending Dakshin Marg to New Chandigarh.

CONSULTANT TO BE APPOINTED SOON

The UT engineering department will be appointing a technical consultant for the project shortly. The consultant will conduct a geo-technical study and prepare preliminary drawings of the project, besides cost estimates and project’s timeline. The department has invited applications for the appointment of a consultant.

“After the consultant’s report, the cost, plans and drawings of the proposed road will be finalised by the administration. The project plans will also need to be approved by the heritage committee and require environmental clearance,” said the official.