To ease traffic flow from Zirakpur: Chandigarh admn plans road widening project, cycle tracks on Dakshin Marg
Tenders already floated, project to be complete within nine months, say UT officials; nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles cross the rotaries of Dakshin Marg and Purv Marg near Tribune Chowk on a daily basis, causing a major bottleneck on the stretch.
Even as the Tribune flyover project is entangled in a web of litigations, the UT engineering department is all set to widen the slow carriageway from Hallomajra light point to the Zirakpur border while also creating 8-ft wide cycle tracks on both sides of the road from Tribune Chowk to Zirakpur border. This ₹10 crore project on the Dakshin Marg is expected to help decongest the busy stretch and bring down accidents.
Nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles cross the rotaries of Dakshin Marg and Purv Marg near Tribune Chowk on a daily basis, causing a major bottleneck on the stretch.
UT chief engineer CB Ojha said, “The tender has already been floated and work will begin next month. From the Tribune Chowk to the Zirakpur border, there will be 8-ft wide cycle tracks on both sides of the road, while from the Hallomajra light point to the Zirakpur border, the slow carriageway will be widened from 16-ft to 24-ft. The total stretch of the route is 4 km.”
An official of the engineering department revealed that a few trees on both sides will have to be felled for the cycle tracks. “Two intersections at Hallomajra lights points and Raipur Khurd light points will be channelised for left and right turns for regulating traffic movement. The road widening will ensure that traffic coming from Zirakpur side and getting on to the Dakshin Marg won’t get stuck in traffic. The risk of accidents will also reduce,” the officer added.
Sateesh Dadwal, former scientist, F, TBRL (DRDO), says, “I have written to the UT administration to ease traffic from Zirakpur to Tribune Chowk. They should install smart traffic lights at some of the rotaries as negotiating a rotary takes a very long time because of the slow movement of vehicles.”
Navdeep Asija, member of Chandigarh road safety council, said, “The cycle tracks will be very beneficial as this stretch has the maximum influx of cyclists and pedestrians due to presence of industrial area on both sides.”
