The new parking facility is being built over approximately 26,000 square metres of land and will have six floors and one basement. (Express Photo)PGIMER, Chandigarh, is all set to get a new multi-level parking facility next month, built at a cost of about Rs 50 crore. This much-awaited parking, located near the New OPD, aims to ease the growing traffic and parking problems on the campus.The PGI Standing Finance Committee had approved the project in 2015 for a second multi-level parking facility near the New OPD. However, due to multiple delays over the past 10 years, the project couldn’t move forward.According to Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director, Administration, PGI, around 80% of the construction work on the multi-level parking will be completed by July, and the facility will become operational, and the remaining work is expected to be completed by November. Considering the increase in patient load and the number of vehicles, the project will provide significant relief to patients and visitors visiting PGI, saving them time. The multi-level parking will eventually have space for over 900 cars, but initially, about 550 cars can be parked by July.The new parking structure is being built over approximately 26,000 square metres of land and will have six floors and one basement. Due to delays over the years, the demand for parking has continued to increase. PGI’s New OPD registers more than 10,000 patients daily, many of whom are accompanied by one or two attendants. As a result, around 20,000 vehicles now enter the PGI campus each day. Due to the shortage of parking space, people often park at the Sector 11 market, outside PGI gates, open grounds near the Advanced Cardiac Centre etc. Earlier, PGI was planning on increasing the frequency of its free shuttle service and e-rickshaws to reduce congestion in the institute’s parking lots, but as per a security guard, people don’t use these services.The existing and designated parking facilities and spaces at PGI are not enough, as the institute struggles with a massive crowd and traffic. PGI currently has a total of 5,505 car parking spaces, including both permanent and temporary. There are 3,753 permanent parking slots, 72 temporary slots in front of the NINE (Nursing College), 180 temporary slots behind the dental block, and 1,500 temporary slots near the swimming pool, with 3,446 parking slots for scooters and bikes.On paper, parking appears to be enough — but the ground reality is different. Every day, heavy traffic, patient vehicles, and staff cars overwhelm the system. It’s common to see attendants and visitors driving around in circles looking for a free spot. The new multi-level parking is expected to ease this pressure. Since PGI cannot stop vehicles from entering, many patients are too ill to walk, the only solution lies in expanding and managing parking facilities efficiently.PGI officials say they are working on traffic control and smart parking strategies, with a one-way system for traffic introduced during peak hours.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd