The Board of Directors of Shimla Smart City Mission Limited has recently approved 28 projects worth Rs 350 crore for the city.
The projects include – the construction of three flyovers, five roundabouts, five escalators and three smart parking lots; all the projects have to be started before March 31, 2020.
The three proposed flyovers will come up at Bemloe, Talland, and between Winterfield and Victory Tunnel near the Railway Station on the Cart Road.
The five traffic junctions which are proposed to be developed into roundabouts are Dhalli Chowk, Old Barrier-Tuttikand, Sanjauli Chowk, Boileauganj Chowk, and Chhota Shimla near Ashiana restaurant.
The five escalators are proposed to be installed at — Lift-Metropol-The Mall, Cart Road to The Mall, Auckland tunnel to police chowki, Jakhu parking to temple top, Tibetan Market to The Ridge, and Lakkar bazaar. Also, one elevator is proposed to be installed from Lakkar Bazzar to Bantony Castle.
The three smart parking lots which have been approved are — 1,000-vehicle complex near the IGMC’s new OPD block, 500-vehicle marking at Vikasnagar, and 200-vehicle parking at SDA Complex, Kasumpti.
Other projects approved were – the construction of pedestrian paths from Sanjauli to IGMC and Dhalli tunnel to Dhalli Bazaar; two-foot bridges near the Lift over the Cart Road and over the Chotta Shimla-Vikasnagar Road; beautification of the façade of The Mall; and a Rs 10 crore Dhalli tunnel, to be constructed parallel to the present tunnel.
According to reports, the 28 projects have been taken up on priority as most of these did not require approval from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had banned construction in the green and core areas around three years ago.
