3 deadlines lapse, second phase of Western Bypass still incomplete

Project was initiated to ease traffic congestion in Karnal city

Parveen Arora

Updated At : 09:34 AM Aug 31, 2024 IST

Work underway on the second phase of the Western Bypass in Karnal. Tribune Photo: Varun Gulati

Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 30

Three deadlines have lapsed but the second phase of the Western Bypass project, which was initiated to ease the traffic congestion in Karnal city, is still incomplete. The project is facing delays and a 500-m stretch is still under construction.

The first phase of the project, connecting the NH-44 near Uchana to Kaithal road along the Western Yamuna Canal, is already operational. The second phase, spanning around 4.9 km from Kaithal road to Ghoghripur village via Hansi road, has faced several setbacks. Officials attributed the delay to various challenges, including the shifting of power lines and poles, delays in obtaining a no objection certificate (NoC) for a bridge over the Bazida distributary and issues related to sewerage line installation. This phase, which is to come up at an estimated cost of Rs 27 crore, is a crucial part of the city’s outer ring road.

The third and final phase is planned to extend from Ghoghripur to the Bastara toll plaza, where it will merge with the under-construction eastern bypass.

Challenges galore, say officials
The work, spanning around 4.9 km from the Kaithal road to Ghoghripur village via Hansi road, has faced several setbacks.
Officials attributed the delay to various challenges, including the shifting of power lines and poles, delays in obtaining a no objection certificate for a bridge over the Bazida distributary and issues related to sewerage line installation.
This phase, which is to come up at a cost of ~27 crore, is a crucial part of the city’s outer ring road.

As per information, work on the second phase began on March 1, 2022, with an initial deadline set for February 28, 2023. However, the project missed this deadline, leading to further extension of the deadline to July 2023, and later, another extension to March 31, 2024.

At present, the levelling work on the remaining 500 m stretch is currently underway. Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) (B&R) claimed that the bitumen work would commence after the monsoon season concludes.

“Due to some reasons, the construction work missed three deadlines. Work on a 500-m stretch is still pending. The bitumen work will be done after the monsoon season is over. We are hopeful that it would be completed by the end of September,” said Sandeep Singh, Executive Engineer (XEN), PWD (B&R).

Opposition leaders have criticised the current BJP government for delaying projects. “The pace of development projects is very slow under the BJP government, while the works were completed at good pace under the Congress government. Karnal remained the CM City for 10 years, but the slow pace reflects the working of this government even in CM’s constituency, which reflects the whole state,” said Parag Gaba, former AICC coordinator.