Panchkula/Chandigarh, 31 January 2026 – The infamous Zirakpur traffic nightmare is finally staring at its endgame. After 12 years of false starts, missed deadlines, and endless public frustration, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has opened technical bids for the ₹1,878 crore Zirakpur-Panchkula Bypass. Nine major contractors are in the race, and officials confirm the entire bidding process is now on a fast track — contract award is expected as early as February 2026.
This 19.2 km six-lane greenfield bypass will run parallel to the existing choked NH-5/NH-7 corridor, permanently diverting thousands of heavy vehicles that currently crawl through Zirakpur and Panchkula every day.
Project Snapshot
- Total Cost: ₹1,878 crore
- Length: 19.2 km (six lanes, access-controlled)
- Elevated Stretch: 6.195 km
- Key Structures: 5 flyovers, 1 vehicular underpass, 9 LVUPs, 1 railway overbridge, multiple major/minor bridges
- Alignment: Starts at Patiala-Zirakpur junction (near Chandigarh Airport road) and terminates at Panchkula (near Parwanoo junction)
The final hurdle — Stage-2 forest clearance — was cleared by the Ministry of Environment in the first week of January 2026, instantly unlocking the tender process that had been frozen for years.
Why This Bypass Changes Everything
Every single day, trucks from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and even Ladakh get stuck for hours in Zirakpur’s legendary jams. The new bypass will pull all non-destined heavy traffic completely out of the city, delivering:
- Massive time savings on Chandigarh–Delhi, Chandigarh–Shimla, and Chandigarh–Ludhiana routes
- Dramatic drop in air pollution and road accidents inside Zirakpur and Panchkula
- Smoother local traffic on NH-5 (Ambala-Chandigarh) and NH-7 (Chandigarh-Panchkula)
- Real estate boom along the new corridor (especially in Derabassi, Lohgarh, and Peer Muchalla)
Construction is expected to begin within weeks of contract award, with completion targeted within 30–36 months (exact timeline to be announced post-award).
For commuters in Ludhiana, Mohali, Chandigarh, Panchkula, and everyone who has ever cursed the Zirakpur choke point — this is the news you’ve been waiting a decade for.
The nightmare is finally getting an exit ramp.
Will this bypass actually end the Zirakpur traffic hell for good, or are we still going to get stuck in construction chaos for the next 3–4 years?
What’s Next?
Construction is likely to begin soon after the contract is awarded, with NHAI to announce the formal completion timeline post-allotment. With the technical and financial evaluation now underway, the project is finally transitioning from file to field — a major milestone after years of uncertainty.
This bypass has the potential to be a genuine game-changer for road travel across Punjab and the wider Tricity region — and a long-overdue respite from the daily Zirakpur gridlock that residents and commuters have been enduring for years.
Source: NHAI updates, The Tribune, and recent infrastructure reports.