Panchkula, Feb. 20 -- In a move aimed at diverting inter-state traffic away from key junctions in Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula, and reducing congestion that frequently spills over into Punjab's urban stretches, the Centre has approved a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield spur that will connect the Ambala-Chandigarh stretch of NH-205A with the upcoming Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass. Once ready, the 10.30-km corridor will ease congestion on National Highway (NH) 44, NH-205A, and NH-152, while enabling faster, seamless connectivity (for Punjab commuters) travelling towards Himachal Pradesh, particularly the Shimla region, announced Union minister of road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari on X on Thursday. As per the available details, the spur will begin near Rajomajra village in Dera Bassi and end near D-Mart in Zirakpur on PR7 (Airport Road) where it will merge with the upcoming Zirakpur bypass. The project is set to cost Rs.1,463.95 crore. An NHAI official said the road is part of the Chandigarh-Ambala Greenfield Corridor and will also connect to Shatabgarh and Ramgarh Bhudda villages in Zirakpur. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said that bidding is on for the project, and once the tender is allotted, the construction is likely to be complete within 18 months. The project will be executed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model....