What You Need to Know About the New Six-Lane Zirakpur Bypass Project
Zirakpur Bypass Project Approved
New Delhi: On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sanctioned the development of a six-lane bypass in Zirakpur, spanning Punjab and Haryana, with a budget of ₹1,878.31 crore utilizing a hybrid annuity model.
This 19.2-kilometer bypass will connect NH-7 (Zirakpur-Patiala) to NH-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo).
The CCEA highlighted that this approval marks a crucial advancement in enhancing integrated transport infrastructure in line with the PM Gatishakti National Master Plan.
Designed to align with the Punjab Government's Master Plan, the bypass will conclude at NH-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo) in Panchkula, effectively bypassing the densely populated and congested areas of Zirakpur and Panchkula.
The primary objective of this initiative is to alleviate traffic congestion in Zirakpur, Panchkula, and adjacent regions by rerouting vehicles from Patiala, Delhi, and Mohali Aerocity, while also providing direct access to Himachal Pradesh.
The government stated, "This proposal is aimed at minimizing travel time and ensuring smooth traffic flow in the congested urban sections of NH-7, NH-5, and NH-152."
Efforts are underway to decongest the urban areas of Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali through the development of a comprehensive road network, which will take the form of a ring road, with the Zirakpur bypass being a vital element of this strategy.
In a related development, last month, the CCEA also approved the construction of a 4-lane, access-controlled Patna-Arrah-Sasaram corridor, which will extend 120 kilometers from Patna to Sasaram in Bihar, with a total capital investment of ₹3,712.40 crore, also under the Hybrid Annuity Model.
The Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) is a public-private partnership framework aimed at encouraging private sector involvement in road infrastructure projects, where the government covers 40% of the project cost as annuity payments to the private developer throughout the concession period, while the developer finances the remaining 60% through debt or equity.