The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is preparing to build a four-lane road from Majri Chowk in Mullanpur to Baddi via Siswan, aiming to reduce travel time for residents of Himachal Pradesh visiting PGIMER in Chandigarh. The proposed 18-kilometer stretch will form part of a larger ring road encircling Chandigarh, which is intended to ease traffic congestion in the region. Currently, commuters traveling from Baddi to New Chandigarh must navigate a single-lane route to reach the PGIMER. The project is awaiting forest clearance from the Punjab Government before work can commence. During a recent meeting of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA), chaired by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, NHAI officials presented an overview of the ring road development around the Chandigarh tricity area. NHAI highlighted that rapid urbanization in Mohali, Zirakpur, Panchkula, and nearby towns—such as Derabassi, Kharar, Morinda, New Chandigarh, and Pinjore—has led to increased traffic, necessitating the new ring road infrastructure. NHAI officials revealed that six segments of the ring road are currently under construction, while the detailed project report (DPR) for another section is being finalized. However, progress on the Baddi-New Chandigarh section through Siswan is delayed due to pending forest clearance, and NHAI has urged the Punjab Government to expedite the process to begin construction. In parallel, the long-delayed Zirakpur bypass project has been revived after 11 years. NHAI will build a six-lane, 200-foot-wide bypass to alleviate congestion in Zirakpur and offer an alternative route for commuters traveling from Ambala to Shimla. Additionally, NHAI is planning a bypass connecting Zirakpur and Panchkula to provide a direct link for traffic heading to Himachal Pradesh, reducing congestion within the tricity area. The new bypass, measuring approximately 16.5 kilometers, will start at the Patiala-Zirakpur light point and end at the old Panchkula light point. Officials emphasized that this project will remove traffic bottlenecks and enhance connectivity, offering a signal-free corridor from the Chandimandir Western Command Headquarters to Chandigarh Airport. These initiatives are expected to streamline traffic flow, improve connectivity, and ease commuter experiences across the tricity region. (tribuneindia)