Chandigarh: Nearly 11 years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on November 11, 2015, residents of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Zirakpur may soon get a shorter access route to the airport.
Nayab Singh Saini has approved the project for constructing a new road connecting Chandigarh directly to the airport terminal. The proposal now requires final clearance from the Ministry of Defence before work can begin.
According to official documents, the approved proposal includes construction of a 100-foot-wide road from Chandigarh’s entry point alongside defence land and vacant land owned by Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), leading directly to the new terminal building.
The initiative, jointly discussed by Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana authorities, suffered a setback after Bhagwant Mann reportedly refused to share the project cost. During a high-level inter-state meeting, Mann said Punjab was facing financial constraints and could not contribute financially to the project.
Punjab also argued that residents of the state already use the Mohali-side route to access the airport, and therefore the new road would not directly benefit Punjab residents.
However, Haryana maintained that the alternate route would significantly reduce travel distance for commuters coming from Mohali, Zirakpur and the Kalka-Shimla highway.
After closure of the old domestic terminal located at the Air Force base, the convenient Chandigarh-side entry to the airport had ended, forcing people from Panchkula, Zirakpur and eastern Chandigarh sectors to take longer routes via Mohali.
Once completed, the new road is expected to reduce travel distance considerably:
From Zirakpur to the airport: from 13.7 km to 9.6 km
From Mohali: from 16 km to 13.1 km
From the Kalka-Shimla highway: from 11.7 km to 9.6 km
The project will require around 38 acres of defence land. Haryana has agreed to bear the entire cost, including land acquisition, road construction, a new Air Force boundary wall, security arrangements and a 450-metre underpass near Runway 29 as demanded by the Indian Air Force.
Since the land falls under Chandigarh and Punjab jurisdictions and Haryana has no nearby land to exchange, the state will acquire the land through cash payment to the Defence Ministry.
Officials said the proposal is being uploaded on the Defence Ministry portal and will be formally sent to the Centre after approval from Haryana’s aviation department.
