CDA chief directs for timely completion of dualisation work

[Salman]

CDA chief directs for timely completion of dualisation work


Islamabad :The new Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Engineer Farkhand Iqbal, on Wednesday inaugurated the physical work on the I-10/I-11 Service Road (North) project, expressing optimism that it would be completed as per schedule by the end of April 2012.

This is the first development project the CDA new chairman has inaugurated after taking over his office and he sounded very optimistic when he vowed that this 2.1-km long dualisation of the service road would be completed within the next four-and-a-half months time.

He stressed that the timely completion of not only this new project but all the development projects must be ensured to reap their early benefits and overcome the threats of cost escalation.

Under this project the CDA has to construct one side of the road anew while it also has to rehabilitate the existing single road, which is in pathetically dilapidated condition because of the extensive movement of heavily loaded trucks and trailers moving in and out of the industrial areas in Sectors I-9 and I-10.

The project also includes the construction of a 200 meters long dual bridge having four spans of 50 meters each, culvert and replacement of the existing drainage system with a new one, sufficient to meet the futuristic requirements.

The spokesman for the CDA, Deputy Director (Public Relations & Protocol), Ramzan Sajid, while talking to ‘The News’ said that the estimated cost of the project is Rs85.24 according to the approved plan. He also said that almost 20 per cent of the physical work, mainly shifting of the electric poles, removal of hurdles and other necessary work was already completed before today’s formal inauguration of the project.

He said that the scope of work included removal of 56 electric poles from the right of way and construction of 22-feet wide greenbelt along the road, most of which is already completed.

“This aspect gives us hope that the project would be completed as per schedule because the shifting of electric poles and other infrastructure have always been a major cause of delay in launch of work on development projects as we have witnessed in the case of ‘Zero Point Inter-change’,” the CDA spokesman said.

The recent history of development projects executed by the CDA shows that only two big projects, i.e. the Soan Bridge project was completed ahead of the schedule time of completion and the ‘Islamabad Expressway’ project was completed and thrown open on the scheduled date of completion.

On the occasion of the formal inauguration of physical work on this I-10/I-11 Service Road (North) dualisation project the chairman was apprised of the importance of the project and the benefits it will offer to the public who have to use this part of the road.

The chairman was briefed that once completed it would greatly facilitate the traffic coming from the Kashmir Highway, 9th Avenue and adjacent highways including IJ Principal Road, particularly for the transportation of the industrial material in from the industrial units working in sectors I-9 and I-10/3 Industrial Areas.

According to the CDA spokesman the chairman, on the occasion, directed the ‘Engineering Wing’ of the Authority to gear up their efforts for providing quality infrastructure to the residents of the capital city. He said that all out efforts would be made for generation of financial resources to facilitate the timely completion of the development projects. He directed the CDA workers to pull up their socks and leave no stone unturned to make Islamabad a model city. Members of the CDA Board and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.