Chandigarh, April 12 -- With nine fatal crashes in the last three years (2023-25), the Hallomajra light point-cum-Poultry Farm Chowk on National Highways 5 (NH-5) has emerged as the deadliest "black spot" in Chandigarh, according to police data. Fatalities at the junction rose sharply from one in 2023 to four each in 2024 and 2025. Across Chandigarh, at least 26 fatal crashes and several grievous injuries were reported atidentified black spots during this period (see box). A black spot on a National Highway is a 500-metre stretch where either five accidents, involving fatalities or grievous injuries, have occurred over the past three years or 10 fatalities have been reported in the same period, according to the Ministry of Road Transport andHighways. As per officials, the entireHallomajra stretch on NH-5 has turned into a dangerous traffic corridor, mainly because of speeding, and unsafe merging of slow-moving traffic, such as cycles and two-wheelers, with fast-moving vehicles. There is also no proper space for pedestrians and cyclists, and the road dividers (medians) are poorly designed at entry and exit points. Further, it sees a heavy rush of trucks, buses and local vehicles as it is a major entry route into Chandigarh. The Poultry Farm Chowk, located on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, also faces the same problem - that of heavy traffic. Many pedestrians and cyclists from nearby areas like Hallomajra and Industrial Area Phase 1 also use this junction even as there are no properfootpaths or cycle tracks for them. Further, the entry towards Zirakpur's slow carriageway is very narrow, and the road coming from Hallomajra is congested. To reduce mishaps, traffic police have proposed short-term measures such as widening roads, creating a new exit near the bus stop, and closing the existing exit near Hallomajra to streamline traffic flow. For the long term, experts had proposed to connect LabourColony No. 4 directly toPanchkula to reduce traffic at the chowk, but it has not been approved so far. "The core issue on this stretch is poor management of the slow carriageway. The exits are not streamlined, which leads to sudden merging and conflict between fast and slow-moving vehicles. Combined with rampant speeding, this significantly increases the risk of fatal crashes. Unless these three areas are addressed urgently, accidents will continue to occur at this junction," says Professor Umesh Sharma, department of civil engineering, PEC. The Kalagram light point on the V-2 road (extended Madhya Marg) has recorded seven crashes over the past three years, including five fatal cases and two grievous injuries. While fatalities remained consistent in 2023 and 2024, only injury cases were reported in 2025. A key issue here is the lack of a segregated cycle track near the petrol station from Chandigarh to Panchkula, forcing cyclists into fast-moving traffic. Vehicles exiting the petrol station merge directly into traffic lanes, often obstructing the left slip road. The Housing Board light point has reported five crashes during the same period, all of which were fatal. The fact that every recorded accident resulted in loss of life highlights thehigh-impact nature of collisions at this location. At the Milk Colony Dhanas light point, a total of seven crashes were recorded, including five fatal cases, one grievous injury, and one non-FIR death. Chandigarh senior superintendent of police (traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh said, "We have taken various measures likesetting up junctions and speed calming measures on these black spots to reduce fatalities. However, some black spots like Hallomajra-cum-poultry farm chowk require long termsolutions."...