Feasibility report for Garkhal junction flyover awaited

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 22

The construction of the ambitious flyover project to de-congest Garkhal junction en route Kasauli is yet to begin as the feasibility report is awaited.

Since five narrow single-lane roads converge on the junction, a flyover was proposed by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2022. Traffic snarls often cause inconvenience of tourists as well as the residents, especially in peak tourist season as the narrow roads are too inadequate to handle the voluminous flow of traffic.

The PWD had entrusted the task of conducting a survey of the area to Larsen and Toubro (L&T) in June 2022. An estimate of Rs 27 crore was initially prepared for this flyover but the amount was later reduced to Rs 22 crore.

The PWD’s Road and Infrastructure Develop Corporation (RIDC) has been entrusted the task to construct this flyover.

Initially a C-shaped structure was proposed where some private land was supposed to be acquired but later this was reduced to a straight structure where no private land would be acquired.

“Its final demarcation would be undertaken tomorrow by the revenue staff which will pave the way for its feasibility report. One demarcation has already been undertaken. No private land is being acquired for the project,” informed Assistant Engineer, PWD, Vishal Bhardwaj.

“The RIDC has received a sum of Rs 7 crore from the PWD for the project while the remaining amount was yet to be received,” informed RIDC Chief Engineer, Pawan Sharma. “We will float tenders after encumbrance-free land is made available so that undue time is not lost in disputes relating to land acquisition,” he added.

With ribbon development, where buildings have been constructed in a continuous row along the road, there is little scope to expand the existing roads. Keeping this handicap in mind the PWD officials had proposed a flyover.

A study undertaken by a National Green Tribunal’s panel on the carrying capacity of the Kasauli Planning Area in 2017 had also stressed the need to decongest the Garkhal junction where five roads converge.

Proposed by PWD in 2022

• A flyover was proposed by the Public Works Department in 2022 as five narrow single-lane roads converge on the junction
• The flyover will extend from near the bus stand at Garkhal on the Garkhal-Dharampur road and will be constructed across the valley on the far-end of the Garkhal-Kasauli road
• The 160-m flyover will have two piers and two abutments with the central pier being 85-m high