Authorities have put on backburner a proposal to construct flyover at Sanat Nagar Chowk to ease traffic flow at this busy junction.
The four-link junction witnesses huge rush of traffic throughout the day. It connects industrial estates Rangreth on one side and commercial hub of Lal Chowk on other side. Besides, there is a constant movement of vehicles on Anantnag-Baramulla highway which intersects the junction.
A senior official in public works department said MLA Amira Kadal Syed Altaf Bukhari had proposed construction of subway at the junction. There was also a proposal of construction of small flyover also known as grade separator to reduce frequent traffic jams at this junction.
“However, both proposals have been put on backburner even as Economic Reconstruction agency had decided to seek funds for the project from Asian Development Bank,” said the official.
In absence of any planning commuters continue to suffer. “On one hand government wants to decongest old city with people moving out to places like Rawalpora, Sanat Nagar and Byepass but at the same time nobody is bothered about addressing the problem of traffic jams at key junctions like Sanat Nagar,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a local.
He said each day they face hours of traffic jam at the junction resulting in loss of time as well as monetary losses. “I reach my shop late every day by an hour which means I lose an hour of business,” he said.
This junction connects to Sanat Nagar-Rangreth on one side which is waiting widening for last 50 years. The road assumes significance as it leads to Rangreth Industrial Estate which houses several establishments including JAKLI center, GREF headquarters and Air Force Station.
Authorities had envisaged four-laning of the stretch decades ago to cater to increasing traffic movement on the road. However they have been resorting to dilly-dallying tactics to execute the project.