NHAI floats tenders for construction of flyover at Ludhiana's Bharat Nagar Chowk

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 1

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will construct a flyover at Bharat Nagar Chowk on the National Highway 5 (old NH-95). A request for proposal (RFP) for the construction of the flyover has already been floated to invite bids from interested firms. The flyover project is a part of the under construction elevated road.

The project work includes the construction of the flyover at Bharat Nagar Chowk with 4-lane flyover towards Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Inter-State Bus Terminal and 2-lane ramp towards the railway station. The work also includes resurfacing/construction of the existing service road of the NH-5 on EPC mode.

The estimated cost of the flyover project is Rs 59.41 crore while the work has to be completed within 18 months. Besides, the maintenance period will be of 10 years.

Notably, the NHAI’s elevated road project from Samrala Chowk to Octroi Post at Ferozepur Road, Ludhiana, via Bharat Nagar Chowk on the NH-5 is underway since 2017. But, the work on the project was going on at a slow pace and it has already missed the previous deadline.

Service lanes on Ferozepur Road have not been constructed at different points due to which commuters are forced to face a lot of inconvenience. Traffic jams due to the ongoing elevated road project on the NH-5 are common.

Rahul Verma of Sambhav Foundation, an NGO, said: “The NHAI should make sure construction of the service lanes on a priority basis to avoid traffic snarls. The management of traffic is much important as Bharat Nagar Chowk is one of the busiest intersections in the city. The work of the elevated road on Ferozepur Road should be speeded up and completed at the earliest.”

Sources said earlier also, a plan was made to construct an underpass for the vehicular movement at Bharat Nagar Chowk but the plan was later changed as a sewer line was passing beneath the road.

Now, an official of the NHAI confirmed that the tenders have been floated for the construction of the flyover while online bids were supposed to be opened on June 15.