Chandigarh, May 16 -- Even as the Centre has given a go-ahead for the construction of the Tribune flyover to ease congestion at one of Chandigarh's busiest intersections, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday stayed the felling of 500 trees in the vicinity, effectively stalling the project. "Since the matter has been heard and is to be decided at an early date, it would be appropriate to restrain the respondents from felling or lopping off any mango tree or other tree in the vicinity of Tribune Chowk," the bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry observed while making it clear the interim direction is being given subject to the final outcome of the judgment. Earlier, the court noted that UT had objected to the public interest litigation (PIL) filed against the felling of trees, arguing that a similar issue was raised in 2019 too and the court had cleared it in May 2024. "We have no doubt that the public cause of traffic congestion at the Tribune Chowk continues to subsist and plague the pristine environment of the heritage city of Chandigarh. Therefore, the said objection of delay raised by the respondents is rejected," the court said. It further said that it is interfering as there are claims that trees standing since the last over 50 years are likely to be felled or lopped off for the flyover construction. Ever since its conception, the project has faced multiple hiccups. Almost eight months after the then UT administrator VP Singh Badnore laid the foundation stone for the project on March 3, 2019, work was stalled as the HC stayed the cutting of trees. In May 2024, the stay was lifted noting that Chandigarh was built up and conceptualised in 1950, and cannot continue to remain like that. In January 2025, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India pulled up the administration over 45% cost escalation - from Rs.137 crore in 2019 to Rs.214 crore in 2025, due to the delay. The project was finally awarded to a contractor from Haryana, who quoted Rs.147 crore for work, which was to start later this month had the HC not stepped in. The petition from Jagwant Singh Bath and others was filed in 2024 raising environmental concerns over the flyover construction and terming it against the city's heritage character. The petitioners argued that the Chandigarh Master Plan (CMP) 2031, notified under the Capital of Punjab Act, 1952 and the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, is a statutory document and it does not recommend the construction of flyovers within the city and mandates that alternative traffic management measures be explored. On the other hand, UT has maintained that the flyover is the need of the hour given the Tribune Chowk becoming a choke point given that over 1.43 lakh vehicles cross the stretch. It has promised to undertake mandatory afforestation for the cutting of trees....