The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared a revised alignment for the 19 km Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass, which is expected to save more than 1,900 trees from felling. The change will raise the project cost by Rs. 650 mn, taking the estimate from Rs. 18 bn, and will also extend the completion timeline. The bypass will retain its existing starting and ending points but will shift closer to the Ghaggar side, according to an affidavit submitted by the NHAI before the Punjab and Haryana high court. Preliminary estimates indicate that around 50 per cent of the compensatory afforestation required for the project could be carried out along the highway itself. The revised plan follows the court’s direction in July for the NHAI to re-survey the route after a public interest litigation raised concerns over its environmental impact. The earlier plan involved the removal of about 4,000 trees, while the petition had alleged that nearly 5,000 trees could be affected. The six-lane bypass will cover nearly 19.2 km, beginning at the Patiala-Zirakpur light point on NH-7 and ending at the old Panchkula light point on NH-5. It is intended to allow traffic bound for Shimla to avoid the Zirakpur bottleneck and enable vehicles travelling from Shimla towards Ambala and Delhi to bypass the town. The project has faced delays since work that began in 2013 was halted in February 2014 after landowners sought higher compensation. Its foundation stone ceremony was deferred after the court stayed tree felling in April. The route forms part of the proposed tricity ring road and is intended to divert inter-state traffic around Chandigarh, potentially keeping approximately 150,000 vehicles from Punjab and Haryana out of the city each day. The petitioner’s counsel has nevertheless maintained that the revised alignment would continue to affect forest ecology near Peer Muchalla. The court has supported discussions between the NHAI and project opponents to identify an option that reduces felling while allowing the strategically important road to proceed.