Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann laid the foundation stone for the 37.93 km Dhussi Bundh link road in Shahkot constituency on Friday, an infrastructure initiative to improve connectivity and provide flood protection in the Sutlej belt. The project will be constructed at a cost of Rs 618.2 million (mn) and aims to link the Shahkot-Moga-Rampur Road with the Gidderpindi Dhussi Bund. Officials said the route is designed both as a transportation corridor and as a strengthened embankment to reduce flood risk. Construction and alignment details were announced in an official statement accompanying the foundation event. The new route is expected to benefit thousands of residents across nearly 15 villages by providing daily access and by functioning as a bypass to ease congestion on existing roads. Authorities noted that the road will connect the Shahkot-Moga Road with the Lohian-Makhu Road and the Gidderpindi Dhussi Bund, enhancing regional mobility. The design places the carriageway along the river bank to integrate flood defences with surface transport infrastructure. Project planners anticipate that the reinforced embankment will offer more reliable protection during high river flows. The Chief Minister said residents of the Shahkot and Lohian regions had long faced flood threats and that previous administrations had not delivered a lasting solution. He described the project as a permanent answer to recurring inundation problems after witnessing villages become inaccessible in heavy rains. Officials estimated that between 15,000 and 16,000 people from roughly 15 villages would use the link on a daily basis once it is open. The route is also intended to reduce travel times for local commuters and to provide alternate circulation during peak periods. Local authorities highlighted benefits during the monsoon season, with easier movement for farmers, school buses and residents and fewer disruptions to agricultural activity. The project is presented as a means to stimulate economic activity and to strengthen local infrastructure while improving resilience against flood events. Officials characterised the initiative as an investment in safety, connectivity and regional development with the potential to raise quality of life for affected communities.