Post polls,Mohali is back on the development track. After remaining bound by the election code of conduct for over two months,Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has once again started work on upgrading and developing roads,bridges and flyover networks at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore. Three major roads: A 200-300 feet wide road connecting the upcoming international airport,another 200 feet wide road connecting Chandigarh with the new Siswan-Baddi Road and a 100-200 feet wide road connecting Knowledge City with the Kharar-Banur-Tepla Road,have been taken up on priority basis under the project. Various contractors/firms are being qualified and consultants being empanelled,GMADA Chief Administrator (CA) Vivek Partap Singh told Newsline. Besides the 27-km roads,three high-level bridges and a flyover will also be constructed under the project. The GMADA chief also disclosed that land acquisition proceedings for the roads,bridges and flyover was in an advanced stage and an award of Rs 1.5 crore per acre,approved by the state-level Land Acquisition Board,was already announced for a couple of projects. The compensation for almost all future land acquisitions is being granted at par with the rate of Rs 1.5 crore per acre,at which over 306 acres was acquired last year,for the upcoming international airport, he said. Vivek Partap Singh added that the time limit for the completion of the projects would be 12 to 18 months from the date of award of contract,to compensate for the delay of over two months due to the code of conduct. The improved road network will not only provide better inter-state and inter-city connectivity,but will also ensure the smooth movement of increasing vehicular traffic,said Singh. In a first,the contracts will include maintenance of the projects for five years to ensure better quality control. Also,to cover up for the loss of hundreds of trees,which were axed to pave way for widening of the roads,new plants will soon add to the green cover on both sides of the completed roads,said GMADA Chief Engineer Rajiv Moudgil. The projects* 200 feet wide Mullanpur Road from Chandigarh-Punjab boundary to T-junction of Kurali-Siswan-Baddi Road with one flyover and two high-level bridges* 3.5 km 200 feet wide road from junction of Sectors 73-74 up to Mohali-Kharar (NH-21) with one high-level bridge over Patiala Ki Rao* 4 km 300 feet wide Express Highway from junction of Sectors 82-66B to international airport* 6.9 km 200 feet wide mixed land use road from junction of Sectors 66B-82A-82 to Chhatt village on Zirakpur-Patiala (NH-64)* 4 km 100-200 feet wide road from junction of Knowledge City in Sectors 80-81-84-85 to Kharar-Banur-Tepla road via junction of Sectors 99-100-104 and Sectors 98-99-104-105
