The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the construction of a six-lane access-controlled Zirakpur Bypass at an estimated cost of ₹1,878.31 crore. The bypass, with a total length of 19.2 km, will span the states of Punjab and Haryana and will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode.

According to an official statement, the proposed bypass will begin at the junction with National Highway-7 (Zirakpur-Patiala) and end at the junction with National Highway-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo). It will follow the Punjab Government’s Master Plan alignment in Zirakpur and extend up to Panchkula in Haryana. The project is being developed as part of the National Highway (Original) programme under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which aims to enhance integrated transport infrastructure across the country.

The Zirakpur Bypass is expected to ease heavy congestion currently experienced in Zirakpur, Panchkula, and surrounding areas. It is designed to divert through-traffic from key corridors such as Patiala, Delhi, and Mohali Aerocity, while also improving direct connectivity to Himachal Pradesh. The project is aimed at reducing travel time and ensuring smoother traffic flow on the heavily congested urban stretches of NH-7, NH-5, and NH-152.

The bypass is part of a larger initiative to decongest the Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Mohali urban agglomeration through the development of a road network envisioned as a ring road. The Zirakpur Bypass forms a crucial segment of this broader infrastructure plan.