In a significant development, the Municipal Corporation today approved a tender of Rs 173 crore for constructing the 4.5 km-long elevated road to Harmander Sahib.

Mr Sunil Dutti, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, said the tenders had been allotted to Gamman India, world-renowned construction company. He said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Minister for Local Government, would lay the foundation stone of the elevated road within 15 days.

He said the construction company had been asked to complete the project within a couple of years. The project to construct the elevated road from Maqboolpura Chowk on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road to Bhandari Bridge and Harmander Sahib was announced by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the time of flagging off the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service.

The project has been cleared despite strong opposition by heritage lovers. Experts allege that the construction of the elevated road will spoil the architectural heritage of the ancient city.