Ludhiana: 60% work on four-lane elevated highway done

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain
Ludhiana, April 4

The work on partially-access controlled four-lane elevated highway in Ludhiana has picked up pace with 60 per cent completion already achieved, the administration has confirmed.

The 12.95-km-long stretch between the busy Samrala Chowk and the Ludhiana municipal limits on the National Highway 95, costing Rs 756.27 crore, is targeted to be completed by March next year, the officials have claimed.

The development holds significance as the stretch, which is at present narrow, has assumed the distinction of a killer highway due to the high volume of vehicular traffic, snuffing out precious lives in major and minor accidents on a daily basis.

OfficialSpeak

The construction of the elevated highway will ease the traffic flow in Ludhiana, which is a congested city, and will provide a much-needed sigh of relief to commuters. —Varinder Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner

Sharing project details, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma told The Tribune, here, on Monday, that the NH-95 section passing through the Ludhiana city was being constructed on the EPC mode under the NHDP, Phase IV.

The elevated highway, connecting Samrala Chowk to the Ludhiana municipal limits till the Ferozepur road on the NH-05 in the city, will be six-laned from Bharat Nagar to the municipal limits with two loops — one towards the railway station and another towards the ISBT.

The project entails six ramps — three each at exit and entry points and a flyover at the Cheema chowk with 320-meter length, which has already been completed and opened for traffic by the then NHAI chairman Sukhbir Singh Sandhu here in February.

The under-construction elevated highway will provide uninterrupted flow of traffic to several government offices, including Mini-Secretariat, Commissioner of Police office and head post office, and major business establishments.

Even as the construction work on the project had commenced in October 2017, it could not be accelerated due to existing trees, electricity supply lines of 11, 66, and 220-kV, and presence of sewer and water supply lines at several locations.

After clearance of all hurdles coming in the way, the work on the project has finally picked up pace and was expected to be completed within the stipulated time frame.

While the Cheema chowk flyover was completed and opened to traffic in December 2020, the work from 9.5-km to 12.95-km, including two ramps on either side for exit and entry, will be completed shortly. “The 3-km stretch will be opened to traffic soon to provide much-needed relief to commuters and residents in the vicinity of the Ferozepur road,” the DC revealed.

The work on the remaining portion of the project from Bharat Nagar to the canal will be completed by March next year, Sharma said.

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