Shimla, July 13: The Himachal Pradesh government has drawn up a ₹2,200-crore urban transport plan to ease traffic congestion in Shimla through the construction of tunnels, flyovers, viaducts, alternative roads and pedestrian infrastructure. The project will be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Sustainable Transport, Resilience and Integrated Development (STRIDe) programme.
The announcement came during the first stakeholder consultation organised by the Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (HPRIDCL) to discuss two proposed tunnel projects for the state capital.
Shimla MLA Harish Janartha called for a fresh feasibility study to examine whether the proposed Tolland–IGMC tunnel can be linked directly to the four-lane highway. He said the tunnel should not be executed unless it substantially reduces travel time and traffic congestion.
“The tunnel must provide direct connectivity to both IGMC and the four-lane highway. Otherwise, it will fail to serve its purpose,” Janartha said, urging HPRIDCL to revisit the design and conduct a detailed feasibility assessment.
The proposed projects include a tunnel from IGMC Junction to the IPH Pump House near St Bede’s College and another from HP PWD Huts near the Himfed petrol pump to Nigam Vihar.
Officials said suggestions received during the consultation—including those related to traffic management, environmental safeguards, public convenience and construction safety—would be examined before finalising the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
Under the STRIDe initiative, seven major infrastructure projects have been proposed for Shimla, including viaducts at Chakkar Bypass and MLA Crossing, a cable-stayed bridge from Railway Parking to Hotel Holiday Home, an ambulance road at Manjhyat, road upgrades and improved pedestrian facilities.
According to HPRIDCL, the proposed 1.45-km twin-tunnel project connecting IGMC, Chhota Shimla and Sanjauli is expected to reduce traffic by 27% on the IGMC Junction–Sanjauli corridor and 36% on the Navbahar–Sanjauli route by 2032.
Officials also said the flyover under construction near the Himachal Pradesh Assembly is on track for completion by December 2026, while traffic surveys using drone technology recorded 37,734 vehicles daily at Victory Tunnel, 27,266 at Sanjauli Junction, and 24,967 at Chhota Shimla, underscoring the need for major infrastructure upgrades.
HPRIDCL Director Pawan Sharma, Mayor Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, officials, technical experts and other stakeholders attended the consultation.
