The Union minister for road transport and highways has raised some objections in Chandigarh’s 1st flyover project. He asked the officers in the city to bring down its length from 6.5 km to 1.5 km and also to cut the cost from Rs 800 crore to Rs 250 crore.

Nitin Gadkari, Union minister had held a meeting with the Chandigarh administration Officers in Delhi last week, where Kirron Kher, Lok Sabha member was also present in the meeting.

With Chandigarh tasked with reworking the design and submitting a fresh proposal, the project is set to be delayed by at least a month. The work was earlier planned to begin in December this year and be completed in two years thereafter.

The project was introduced to ease the traffic flow on the Dakshin Marg, especially at the Tribune roundabout. Around 1.43 lakh vehicles crosses from there daily.

What all has been curtailed

Sources said the ministry has asked the UT officers to construct the flyover from near the railway overbridge in Hallomajra to the Government Medical College and Hospital roundabout on Dakshin Marg.

Officers in the ministry reportedly said there no need of other proposed components of the project — underpass at the Hallomajra chowk, elevated corridor with rotary at the Tribune roundabout and underpass at Purab Marg.

Now, it will comprise of just a 1.5 km flyover with an underpass at the Tribune roundabout. With this, the cost should come down to Rs 250 crore, the ministry told Chandigarh officers, adding that the flyover can be further extended after a few years according to the requirements. The entire project cost will be borne by the Union ministry.

A senior Chandigarh officer, who did not wish to be named, said the Mumbai-based consultant, STUP Consultants Pvt Ltd, will be asked to prepare the new plan according to the instructions of the Union ministry, which will be submitted within two weeks.

“Though we were expecting to start the construction in December this year, the project will now be delayed by another month,” he said.

Now, instead of December 2018, construction is expected to begin in January 2019. It is to be completed in two years thereafter.

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