After years of delays, the long-pending pedestrian underpass connecting the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) and Panjab University (PU) is set to see the light of day. The UT Engineering Department has floated tenders for the project, which is expected to cost Rs 8.40 crore. The bids will be opened on May 22 and construction is expected to start in June.
After some minor alterations in the project plan, the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) gave its approval to the amended design of the underpass. A joint site inspection by officials of the Municipal Corporation, the Engineering Department and other stakeholders had been carried out for proper planning of utility shifting and execution of the work. The sewer and storm water pipelines will have to be shifted before work on the underpass gets started.
Now, only 12 shops will be built instead of the earlier proposed 20. Moreover, the width of the underpass has been reduced from 17 metre to 14 metre.
In November 2019, then UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore had given in-principle approval to the underpass plan after the traffic police emphasised the need for an underpass on the stretch.
