11 new parking lots near completion across Uttarakhand

Dehradun: To ease traffic congestion and parking pressure in Uttarakhand, the state govt is developing 11 parking facilities with a combined capacity of 1,082 vehicles. Around 80% of the construction work has been completed and the remaining expected to be finished within the next six months.The move follows an extensive review in 2024, during which proposals were invited for parking facilities at 195 locations through various development authorities, covering options such as surface parking, multi-level structures and tunnel-based facilities, with tourist-heavy cities such as Nainital and Dehradun receiving priority. Based on the proposals, the housing department approved detailed project reports (DPRs) for parking at 114 locations and released the required budget. In the first phase, parking facilities with capacity for 3,244 vehicles were developed at 54 locations and have already been made operational.In the second phase, construction is underway at 11 additional locations, where facilities for 1,082 vehicles are being created and the department aims to complete the projects within the current financial year. Separately, development authorities are building parking facilities at 11 more locations from their own resources, which will together accommodate 359 vehicles.Housing secretary R Rajesh Kumar directed development authorities to expedite construction and ensure that the parking sites are made operational before the upcoming travel season, while also putting in place basic amenities such as toilets, lighting and cleanliness arrangements.Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said every year crores of pilgrims and tourists visit Uttarakhand, and with improved road connectivity, more people are travelling in private vehicles, leading to congestion in urban areas. He said over the past four years, work has been carried out to strengthen parking infrastructure at key locations to address the growing demand.