Islamabad: Change in design delays start of Kashmir Highway expansion work

[Naveed Yaseen]

Muhammad Anis
The start of work on expansion and rehabilitation of Kashmir Highway has been delayed due to planned change in design of the project.

“The change in design will not only allow smooth flow of traffic but it will also reduce cost of the project,” a CDA official told ‘The News’ on Friday.

The official said that due to change in the plan, the development work would take another month to start. “The consultant has sought four weeks to make changes in design of the road which will be unique not only in Islamabad but also in the country,” the official said.

The sources said that the new Member Planning Raja Nowsherwan who previously was working in the National Highway Authority (NHA) and has expertise in roads planning, floated the proposal of new design which was immediately approved by the chairman and other board members.

According to new design, two of five lanes on both sides of Kashmir Highway will be concrete lanes to cater for heavy traffic. There would also be division between concrete and soft lanes so that heavy traffic doesn’t disturb light traffic by leaving their own lanes. “There will be 30 feet difference between soft and rigid lanes and in future, the road can be expanded further,” the official said.

Previously, the authority had planned to expand highway up to 60 feet on both sides having all the five rigid lanes soaring cost of the project to over Rs2.5 billion.

“With the change in design and exclusion of three lanes from the previous design, we will save crores of rupees from the project,” the official said.

The sources said the project would take less than two years to complete and for the current financial year, the CDA had allocated Rs800 million for it.

The official said they have also decided to judge and look into past performance of lowest bidder of Zero Point Interchange before awarding him contract of development work.

Meanwhile, CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari has expressed dissatisfaction over sanitation arrangements in the federal capital. Lashari on Friday presided over a meeting of concerned officials and directed them to take proper cleanliness measures.

He directed the officials to give one-month deadline to contractors engaged in cleanliness system to improve their performance.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=123705