Vehicular movement commenced on Tuesday on the newly constructed 825-metre-long and seven-metre-wide link road connecting Baghpat Road with Railway Road, Meerut, providing much-needed relief to traffic congestion in the area.

Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said the remaining construction work on the road would be completed within the next three days. The opening of the route was welcomed by the Joint Action Committee representing 24 colonies, which termed it the fulfilment of a long-pending demand raised through protests beginning on August 15, 2021.

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Sardar Rajendra Singh, president of the Jan Andolan Samiti that spearheaded the movement for the construction of the link road, said the new route would ease traffic jams and ensure smoother traffic flow for residents of over 24 colonies and several adjoining localities. He said the committee had held sustained protests for several months in the TP Nagar area to press for the road’s construction.

However, Singh alleged that a two-foot gap left at the Baghpat Road end of the link road by the PWD could lead to traffic bottlenecks in the future.

Responding to the concern, PWD Assistant Engineer Ankit Singhal clarified that the space had been intentionally left for the construction of a culvert over a drain. He said the culvert would allow drainage water from colonies along the link road to flow directly into the main drain on Baghpat Road, benefiting local residents. Singhal added that the culvert construction, along with the remaining road work, would be completed within three days.

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Gaurav Singh, publicity head of the Link Road Jan Andolan Samiti, and general secretary Sachin Goyal said the commencement of vehicular movement would benefit residents of nearby colonies and significantly reduce traffic pressure on Baghpat Road.

The PWD official further said that height barriers would be installed at both ends of the link road to restrict the entry of heavy vehicles. Trucks and other large vehicles would not be allowed, as their movement could lead to congestion on the narrow stretch. The opening of the link road is expected to provide relief from traffic congestion to a large population in the area.