Railway overbridge delay sparks traffic chaos in Tarn Taran village - The Tribune

There appears to be little hope for the timely completion of the four-lane railway overbridge (ROB) near Kakka Kandiala village at the A-25 railway line crossing in Tarn Taran. This comes despite earlier claims by Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO that the project would be completed ahead of the prescribed deadline.

As a result, residents of the area are likely to face traffic-related hardships for several more months. Commuters have already been dealing with significant inconvenience for over two years. With traffic closed on the Kakka Kandiala road, vehicles are being diverted through the roads of Tarn Taran town, leading to frequent congestion since the beginning of the ROB construction.

The foundation stone for the project was laid in January 2024, with an initial completion deadline set for June 2026 at an estimated cost of Rs 82.88 crore. During a site visit in May 2025, Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO announced that the project would instead be completed six months earlier, say by December 2025.

The minister had also claimed that early completion would reduce the project cost to Rs 70 crore, resulting in savings of Rs 12.88 crore from the initially projected Rs 82.88 crore.

However, Simranjit Singh, Executive Engineer (XEN), PWD (B&R), Amritsar, stated that the work is now expected to take another five to six months. At the current pace observed at the site, this timeline also appears difficult to achieve. The officer maintained that work is progressing on a war footing but acknowledged challenges.

He explained that the project involves coordination not only with the state government but also with the Ministry of Railways, which has caused procedural delays. Additionally, issues related to funding have contributed to the slow progress.

Due to the closure of the Kakka Kandiala road, both heavy and light traffic has been rerouted through Tarn Taran town, where roads remain frequently congested. Traffic jams have become a routine issue for residents.

Dr Sukhdev Singh Lauhuka, a former councillor and social worker, has urged the district administration to closely monitor the project and ensure its completion by June, as originally promised at the time of its inauguration.

He added that the slow pace of construction is causing inconvenience not only to residents of Tarn Taran but also to commuters travelling by buses to the holy city.