NHAI Invites Bids for ₹1,878-Crore Zirakpur-Panchkula Bypass to Ease Tricity Traffic

Zirakpur-Panchkula Bypass : In a significant move towards easing traffic congestion in the tricity region of Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has officially invited bids for the ambitious Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project. The project, which has been stuck in limbo for over a decade, is now gaining momentum with a sanctioned cost of ₹1,878.31 crore. The tender marks a major step in the implementation of this long-awaited infrastructure upgrade.

According to officials, the bypass will stretch 19.2 kilometres and will feature a six-lane corridor designed to decongest the existing overlapping sections of National Highway 5 (NH-5) and National Highway 7 (NH-7). These highways currently cut through densely populated urban areas, including Zirakpur and Panchkula, leading to severe traffic snarls during peak hours. The new route will serve as an alternative transit corridor, diverting heavy vehicular flow away from the core city areas.

What sets this project apart is the timeline of its conception. More than ten years ago, planners and authorities had envisioned a bypass to address the fast-growing traffic in the region. However, delays in approvals, land acquisition, and funding mechanisms kept the project from moving beyond the drawing board. The long-standing delay was finally addressed in April 2025 when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, granted in-principle approval for the construction. The project will now be executed on a Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), a model that involves partial funding by the government with the rest coming from the private sector.

The bidding process is already underway. As per a senior NHAI official, the last date for submitting bids is June 16, and the tenders will be opened on June 17. The contract is expected to be awarded to the lowest bidder by July 31. If everything proceeds on schedule, the construction is likely to begin by January 2026 and will be completed within a span of two years.

In terms of infrastructure, the bypass is a massive undertaking. The 19.2-km road will include a 6.195-km elevated section, five flyovers, nine light vehicular underpasses, one full vehicular underpass, one railway overbridge, and two bridges—one major and one minor. The route will commence from the Zirakpur-Patiala junction on NH-7 and will terminate at the Zirakpur-Parwanoo junction on NH-5. It will pass through parts of Mohali district in Punjab and Panchkula district in Haryana.

The road will not only facilitate the movement of local traffic but also provide crucial connectivity to major outer sectors of Panchkula, including Sectors 24 and 25, which currently lack direct access to major national highways. Moreover, it will streamline the flow of traffic coming from Patiala, Delhi, and the Chandigarh International Airport towards Himachal Pradesh, cutting down travel time and reducing vehicle load on internal city roads.

The entire land parcel required for this mega project had already been acquired by the Punjab Government and handed over to the NHAI back in 2020. This puts the project at a strong starting point, with no major land acquisition hurdles expected.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has described the Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass as a flagship initiative under the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti National Master Plan. “This is a transformative project that will not only decongest the tricity region but will also link important economic and logistics corridors. The bypass will eliminate traffic bottlenecks and enhance seamless connectivity for both commuters and freight vehicles,” Gadkari said.

He further added that the project aligns with the broader plan to create a ring road around Chandigarh, aimed at redistributing traffic loads and improving regional transport efficiency.

The importance of the bypass cannot be overstated. With the tricity emerging as a key economic and administrative hub in North India, traffic pressure has been mounting year after year. Urban expansion, increasing vehicle ownership, and growing inter-state connectivity needs have turned the existing highways into overcrowded zones, causing daily inconvenience for commuters and logistical delays for transporters.

Experts believe that once completed, the Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass will significantly improve not just daily commuting but also long-distance travel and trade movement. It is also expected to improve road safety by reducing congestion-induced accidents and providing modern road infrastructure.

Now that bidding has begun and timelines are in place, all eyes are on the NHAI to ensure that execution matches the urgency and scale of the plan. If implemented effectively, the Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass could stand as a model for future urban bypass projects across the country.