Chandigarh Tribune Flyover Proposal Sparks Heated Debate Among Experts
The Chandigarh Administration is advancing plans for the Tribune Flyover, a major infrastructure project intended to alleviate congestion at the busy Tribune Chowk. Officials describe this initiative as a critical component of a broader traffic management strategy, designed to ensure smoother vehicular movement during peak hours along one of the city's key arterial corridors, which links industrial, residential, and institutional areas.
Architects and Planners Voice Strong Objections
However, the project has encountered significant resistance from architects and urban planners, who contend that it represents an outdated approach to urban development. Critics argue that the flyover could irreversibly alter Chandigarh's unique character, which is rooted in its low-rise, human-scale design with roundabouts, open vistas, and sectoral balance. They assert that such elevated structures may not effectively solve traffic issues and could instead shift bottlenecks to other locations.
One prominent critic, Advocate Ajay Jagga, a member of the Administrator's Advisory Council, has formally written to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging a review of flyover-centric proposals. Jagga warned that the announcement has already caused anxiety among residents, who fear it could lead to a series of elevated structures across multiple junctions. He emphasized that flyovers often fail to resolve congestion, merely relocating problems, and described cascading construction as a "nightmare scenario" that erodes the city's original planning ethos.
Global Examples and Alternative Solutions Cited
Jagga highlighted international cases where cities have successfully removed elevated roads in favor of more sustainable solutions, such as the Cheonggyecheon Expressway in Seoul, the Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco, and Boston's Central Artery replacement. These examples, he argued, demonstrate that better planning, not more elevated roads, is key to effective traffic management.
Echoing these concerns, city-based architect Surinder Bagga, a former chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects, Punjab and Chandigarh Chapter, criticized the flyover as environmentally and technically flawed. He pointed out that construction would likely result in the loss of hundreds of trees and could create chaos at other intersections, such as the GMCH Sector 32 roundabout. Bagga advocated for long-term alternatives, including:
- Developing a ring road around Chandigarh
- Creating alternative traffic corridors to divert through-traffic
- Strengthening public transport systems to reduce reliance on private vehicles
Concerns Over Permanent Impact and Visual Intrusion
Mohali urban planner Tarsem Singh emphasized that flyovers are permanent structures that are difficult and costly to reverse. In a city celebrated for its architectural coherence and green spaces, critics fear elevated concrete structures would cause visual intrusion, loss of trees, and fragmentation of neighborhoods. Experts recommend decongestion-based approaches, such as:
- Intelligent traffic signaling and junction redesign
- Strict parking regulations
- Improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure
- Demand management policies
These interventions are viewed as more flexible, cost-effective, and compatible with Chandigarh's planned city character. The debate underscores a broader clash between traditional infrastructure solutions and modern urban planning principles, with stakeholders calling for a holistic review to preserve the city's heritage while addressing traffic challenges.
