Alternate airport link road work extended till March

Mohali: Work on the much-awaited alternate route to ease congestion on Mohali's airport road has been extended till March, with officials citing delays caused by extreme winter conditions. The project, aimed at decongesting traffic leading to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, was earlier scheduled for completion by Dec 2025.Mohali deputy commissioner (DC) Komal Mittal said the work slowed down as the bitumen mix plant was shut due to intense cold weather. "The plant has resumed functioning from Feb 15, and construction activity regained pace," she said after reviewing the project progress.According to the officials, bitumen laying on one side of the dual-carriageway is expected to be completed by the second week of March, while the work on the other side is likely to be finished by the end of month. Mittal stated that one side of the road was likely to be made functional by mid-March, and authorities are hopeful of opening a portion of the stretch for vehicular movement by the end of the month to provide interim relief to commuters.The 8.5-km-long alternate route, running parallel to the existing airport road, connects Bawa White House to the Airport Chowk. The project is being executed by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada) as part of a broader mobility master plan to streamline traffic flow in the rapidly developing airport corridor.The work includes the construction of two parallel bridges over a choe. While one bridge was completed, work on the second bridge is currently under progress. Additionally, a double-lane under-railway bridge (URB) remains a key pending component. Plans for a concrete box structure were submitted to the railways, and funds were earmarked for immediate execution once approvals are granted.Gmada chief administrator Sakshi Sawhney said nearly 90% of the work was completed, and the project was being fast-tracked as per the state govt directions to operationalise priority mobility corridors. She added that even if the railway bridge component took longer, the completed stretch would be opened within the announced timeline to ensure early traffic relief.The new dual-carriageway road is expected to significantly divert private and commercial vehicles from the heavily burdened main Airport Road, improving travel time and road safety for daily commuters.Emphasising the urgency of the project, the DC said the decongestion plan must translate into visible and tangible improvements for residents. "Commuters have high expectations, and it is our responsibility to ensure swift and effective implementation," she said.