Shimla to get new double-lane tunnel, expected to ease traffic woes in Queen of Hills
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SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla is set to get a new double-lane tunnel that promises to significantly ease the city’s traffic congestion. In a move that signals a major shift in infrastructure planning, the government has decided to modify the previously proposed Navbahar-IGMC tunnel project. The new tunnel will now be constructed from Toland Chowk to the IGMC area, instead of the earlier plan from Navbahar to IGMC, at an estimated cost of Rs 295 crore.
The change comes after the state government directed the Himachal Pradesh Road Infrastructure Development Corporation (HPRIDC) to revise the project to address traffic issues along the entire Circular Road.
The HPRIDC, which is overseeing the project, has already begun the process of drafting a new detailed project report (DPR) with the help of expert analysis to assess the feasibility of constructing the tunnel from Toland Chowk. Once the preliminary report is complete, a comprehensive DPR will be finalised.
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The revised route will result in a longer tunnel compared to the originally planned 890-metre stretch from Chudail Bawdi in the Navbahar area to the IGMC. Although this new tunnel will likely exceed the Rs 295 crore budget due to its increased length, it is expected to offer far more significant benefits.
Previously, the Navbahar-IGMC tunnel aimed to alleviate traffic in the Sanjauli area, but the government realised it wouldn’t sufficiently address congestion in other critical parts of the city, including Chota Shimla, Old Bus and Lakkar Bazaar. By constructing the tunnel from Toland Chowk, the government hopes to provide relief to the entire Circular Road, which suffers from frequent gridlock.
Once completed, the Toland Chowk-IGMC tunnel will streamline traffic flow across several parts of Shimla. Vehicles and buses travelling from Upper Shimla to Tutikandi will be able to bypass Sanjauli Chowk and Chota Shimla entirely, instead taking the Dhalli bypass to reach IGMC via the tunnel. Similarly, vehicles coming from Panthaghati and Tutikandi via Khalini will no longer need to detour through the bus stand or Chota Shimla to access upper Shimla or IGMC, saving both time and fuel.+
