Chandigarh, Jan. 9 -- After missing multiple deadlines, the multi-level parking project of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), located near the new OPD building, is now expected to be completed by October 2026. Spread over approximately 26,000 square metres, the project is aimed at easing the persistent parking crunch at the institute, which sees an ever-increasing volume of traffic. Once completed, the facility will be able to accommodate 684 vehicles. With a daily patient footfall exceeding 10,000, the number of vehicles entering the campus is nearly double. The addition of the advanced neuroscience centre and the mother and child care centre is expected to further aggravate the parking problem if alternative arrangements are not put in place. Like the parking project, both these facilities have also faced delays and are yet to be operationalised. Traffic congestion is particularly severe in the morning hours due to OPD timings, with the new OPD building receiving the highest number of patients. At present, the hospital has implemented a one-way traffic system around the new OPD building during OPD hours to manage congestion. A PGI official said that around 70% of the construction work has been completed and efforts are on to finish the remaining 30% within the next 10 months. The parking facility is expected to provide major relief to patients, many of whom are currently forced to park their vehicles outside the institute. Cars are often seen parked along the road from PGI gate no 2 up to Punjab Engineering College (PEC). The multi-level parking building is strategically located between the Nehru hospital extension block and the new OPD building. Its proximity to the new OPD, advanced eye centre and Nehru hospital extension will be particularly beneficial for attendants of patients on wheelchairs and stretchers. The facility will also offer safer parking compared to current conditions, where vehicles parked outside the campus remain unattended. Originally planned for completion within 18 months, the project has faced delays on multiple fronts. Although it received approval in 2015, the PGI administration awarded the construction contract only on May 30, 2023, with work commencing in June 2023. In 2025, the Chandigarh pollution control committee (CPCC) raised objections, alleging that construction had begun without the requisite environmental and pollution approvals. The PGI official said the delay was caused by the need to clear the site, including the cutting of trees, and difficulties in managing traffic during the initial phase. The project was further delayed due to the shifting of an electrical substation by the UT administration. After the substation was relocated on August 28, 2024, the remaining site was handed over to the agency for execution of the work....