Cabinet Minister Inaugurates India’s First Organized Urban On-Highway Parking Development Project in Ludhiana

Ludhiana, February 22, 2026: In a landmark step towards modern urban infrastructure and scientific traffic management, Punjab Cabinet Minister for Industries & Commerce, Investment Promotion, Power and Local Government, Sanjeev Arora, on Sunday formally inaugurated the construction of India’s first-ever pilot project for organized on-highway urban parking development in Ludhiana.
The pioneering project is being executed by the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and represents a first-of-its-kind model for optimized utilization of spaces along and beneath elevated highways in congested urban corridors.
The Minister was accompanied by MLAs Kulwant Singh Sidhu and Daljit Singh Grewal, Mayor Principal Inderjit Kaur, MC Commissioner Neeru Katyal, DC Himanshu Jain, District Planning Board Chairman Jatinder Singh Khangura, Ludhiana Improvement Trust Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder, MP Singh Jawaddi, and several other dignitaries and officials.
Visionary Initiative Driven by Persistent Efforts
This transformative initiative has materialized owing to the consistent and sincere efforts of Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, who has long championed the need for structured parking solutions to address Ludhiana’s chronic congestion challenges. Through sustained follow-ups and high-level engagements with NHAI and NHLML, key bottlenecks were resolved, approvals expedited, and the pilot project successfully anchored in Ludhiana.
Project Highlights
Development of approximately 750 organized car parking slots
Utilization of underused spaces along and beneath elevated highway stretches
Key locations include:
Bharat Nagar Chowk to Sidhwan Canal (between main carriageway and service road)
Beneath elevated corridor from Bharat Nagar Chowk to ISBT
Completion timeline: 6 months
Model: Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) on lease basis
Concession period: 10 years
Estimated investment: ₹7 crore
Creation of 14 architecturally designed parking zones on both sides of the elevated road
The parking areas will be environmentally compliant, aesthetically integrated with the urban landscape, and equipped with modern amenities ensuring safe, organized and efficient usage of space.
A Game-Changer for Ludhiana’s Urban Mobility
Addressing the media, the Minister expressed satisfaction at the commencement of the long-awaited project, emphasizing that it would substantially ease Ludhiana’s long-standing parking shortages and traffic congestion.
“This initiative will provide safe, organized and easily accessible parking solutions for daily commuters, shoppers and residents. It will significantly reduce roadside chaos, improve traffic discipline and enhance road safety across key corridors of the city,” he said.
He further highlighted that the project reflects a forward-looking approach to urban planning by scientifically utilizing idle urban spaces beneath elevated roads—an approach that can be replicated in other cities of Punjab and across the country.
Commitment to Modern Urban Infrastructure
The Minister reiterated that under the able guidance of National Convener Arvind Kejriwal & Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government remains fully committed to people-centric infrastructure that improves ease of living, supports economic activity, and promotes planned urban growth.
He added that the State Government will continue to collaborate closely with central agencies such as NHAI and NHLML to bring more innovative, sustainable and globally benchmarked infrastructure projects to Ludhiana and other cities of Punjab.
This project is poised to become a national model for organized urban parking and efficient utilization of highway-adjacent spaces, reinforcing Ludhiana’s position as a progressive and infrastructure-ready metropolitan hub.