New Chandigarh-city link road in dire need of repairs

Kritika Kanwar

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 23

Driving on the Dadu Majra road, a crucial link road that connects New Chandigarh and Chandigarh, is nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for commuters.

The road is frequently used by residents of New Chandigarh as well as nearby villages such as Togan, Saini Majra, Rani Majra, etc, to go to Chandigarh. It is also used by people coming from the Kurali side and heading for the UT.

‘Driving on road fraught with risk’

Driving on the pothole-ridden road is fraught with risk. I have seen many two-wheelers skid due to muck. Ever since a scrap market was shifted here, the road has become even narrower. - Gurmeet Singh, Resident, Omaxe township

Commuters said sometimes even the Punjab and Himachal Roadways buses take the road to avoid traffic jams near the Kharar flyover. The link road cannot bear more than the stipulated weight yet heavy vehicles carrying cement and building material ply on it, further damaging it.

“When the road was metalled two years ago, we knew it won’t last long. The influx of heavy vehicles and unregulated traffic took a toll on the link road, which is a lifeline for villagers. The road is too narrow for two vehicles to cross each other easily. The situation worsens during the peak hours,” said an aggrieved resident of New Chandigarh.

“I used to take this route quite frequently but the recent rainfall and unregulated traffic had deepened the potholes. Driving on it is fraught with risk. I have seen many two-wheelers skid due to muck. Ever since a scrap market was shifted here, the road has become even narrower. I have now started taking a longer route to Chandigarh, via Sarangpur,” said Gurmeet Singh, a resident of the Omaxe township.

Since half of the road comes under the UT Administration and the other half is managed by the B&R Department of Mohali district, its repair work has always remained a bone of contention. Apart from the traffic mess, it is also the structural errors that plague the road. Lack of adequate drains worsens the situation during monsoon when the low-lying Dadu Majra bridge gets inundated, rendering the link road completely non-motorable.

A B&R official said, “The stretch under our jurisdiction is more wide and motorable. It is for the UT Administration to start the road-widening work in the area falling under its jurisdiction. We got it repaired almost two years ago.”

A senior UT official said, “Once the Togan road becomes operational, it will directly connect New Chandigarh to Dakshin Marg. This will bring a huge relief to the residents of New Chandigarh and several adjoining villages as half of the traffic will get diverted on this road.”