Rs 11-cr budget okayed for PGI-PU underpass

After years of delays and planning hurdles, the long-pending underpass connecting the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) and Panjab University (PU) is set to see the light of day. The UT Administration has approved the revised budget of Rs 11 crore paving the way for the Engineering Department to float tenders for the project.

The proposed underpass will be 15.7 metre wide and 32.77 metre long —making it wider than the existing Sector 17 Rose Garden underpass. The structure will also have eight commercial booths, each measuring 2.5 metre by 2.5 metre.

Originally cleared by the then UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore in November 2019, the project cost was initially estimated at Rs 7 crore. However, repeated administrative hold-ups and hurdles faced in land acquisition delayed the project and consequent hike in the cost to Rs 11 crore.

The project has been in the pipeline since 2017. In the early stages, the departments of engineering and urban planning shuffled files while both the PGI and the PU hesitated to part with land. Initially, 80 square feet was sought for the project, but eventually, only 60 square feet was made available.

Approval from the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee and its sub-panel further prolonged the process, taking nearly a year. A consultant was brought on board in September 2024, and the final plan received approval in March 2025.

Given the heavy pedestrian footfall on the PGI–PU stretch, the new underpass has been designed to be significantly wider than the Rose Garden underpass. During planning reviews, suggestions included reducing the number of shops, widening the ramp turning radius, and installing lifts for accessibility.

Although initial plans proposed 20 booths, the Heritage Committee restricted it to eight to preserve aesthetic and heritage considerations.

The underpass will be constructed between the PU bus stop and PGI gate.

Chandigarh