The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated a fresh tender to invite bids for the Rs 1,878.31-crore Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass. Officials stated that the 19.2-km six-lane bypass will enable drivers to bypass the significant congestion on the existing overlapping section of the four-lane National Highway (NH-5) and NH-7, which traverses the densely populated regions of Zirakpur and Panchkula.
This development is particularly important as the project was initially proposed over ten years ago. Acknowledging the excessive delays, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 9, granted in-principle approval for the construction of the bypass in Punjab and Haryana under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). A senior official from NHAI informed The Tribune on Wednesday that the deadline for bid submissions is June 16, with the bids to be opened on June 17. The project will be awarded to the lowest bidder by July 31.
The Punjab Government acquired all the land necessary for the project and transferred it to the NHAI in 2020. The bypass has been designed to ensure smooth traffic flow and alleviate congestion in the tricity area by enhancing connectivity and effectively redirecting traffic around Zirakpur and Panchkula.
This 19.2-km road will include a 6.195-km elevated section, five flyovers, nine light vehicular underpasses, one vehicular underpass, one railway overbridge, and both a major and a minor bridge. It will begin at the Zirakpur-Patiala junction on NH-7 and end at the Zirakpur-Parwanoo junction on NH-5, passing through the Mohali and Panchkula districts in Punjab and Haryana, respectively.
The bypass will offer essential connectivity to Sectors 24 and 25 in Panchkula, as well as to the outskirts of the city. “The project received approval from the CCEA in April, after which bids were invited, and this NH project is currently in the bidding phase,” the official stated. He revealed that, contingent upon meeting all prerequisite conditions, construction of the bypass is set to begin in January of next year and is expected to be completed within approximately two years.
As outlined in the detailed project report (DPR), the main objective of the project is to alleviate traffic congestion in Zirakpur, Panchkula, and the surrounding areas by redirecting traffic from Patiala, Delhi, and the Chandigarh international airport in Mohali, while providing direct access to Himachal Pradesh. “The bypass will not only shorten travel times but also facilitate smooth traffic movement in the densely populated sections of NH-7, NH-5, and NH-152,” he added.
