Work afoot to replace Dhakoli railway crossing with underpass

In one year, commuters can expect relief from traffic bottlenecks at the Kalka-Ambala T-point in Zirakpur, as plans are afoot to replace the Dhakoli railway crossing with a railway underpass.

The Railways on Friday opened tenders for the ₹13.70-crore project and work is likely to begin in November this year, with completion expected in another 10 months.

Sharing details after visiting the site on Friday, Mohali deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said after surpassing the first step of receiving tenders, the railway authorities will now allot the project to the successful bidder after establishing eligibility.

She said the Punjab government will bear half of the estimated amount of the construction, already deposited with the Railways.

The deputy commissioner added that the purpose of Friday’s visit was to assess the conditions related to issuance of NOC for the elimination process (replacing with RUP) . She said the last date for fulfilling all conditions to issue the NOC was September 26.

Meanwhile, taking note of residents’ suggestion, Jain said an alternative route will be explored from Krishna Enclave to Golden Sand apartments. The deputy commissioner also directed the Powercom officials to shift the poles in the meantime to pave way for the project.

She directed ADC (Urban Development) Damanjit Singh Mann and executive officer Ashok Kumar to complete all formalities related to the construction of the railway underpass to permanently address the chronic problem of traffic jams on the Dhakoli crossing.

Interacting with residents regarding their issues, she assured them of early disposal of the waste dump in the mandi area and speeding up of CCTV installation to curb the crime rate.