Islamabad Highway, interchange planned at Koral Chowk, underpass at Kurri Chowk

[Naveed Yaseen]

Another interchange, underpass on Islamabad Highway
Islamabad
The Capital Development Authority would initiate construction work of an interchange and underpass at Islamabad Highway in December this year, said a senior CDA official here Saturday.

“Both the projects are in planning phase and work would be started soon after the designing likely to be completed within three months,” he said.

He said an interchange would be constructed at Koral Chowk while the underpass would be constructed on Kurri Chowk. Moreover, an intersection has been planned at Lehtrar Chowk and work on the project would be started shortly. In total, about a dozen interchanges and underpasses are planned to be constructed on the highway. He said work on addition of two rigid lanes in Islamabad Highway has already been started to make it the widest highway of the country.

He said work on the widening of Islamabad Highway would be completed in December, adding that the project is meant to provide separate way for heavy traffic to avoid rutting in future, which sometimes also causes accident and disrupts traffic flow.

“The project incurring Rs1,676.919 million includes seven underpasses and four interchanges on the highway from Faizabad Interchange to Rawat. These interchanges and flyovers are in addition to the Zero Point Interchange, which would be launched this month,” he said.

The official said Islamabad Highway would be made signal free and the project would take more or less two years for completion.

After the design of the project is finalised, the authority would start the hiring process of contractors for the construction of interchanges and flyovers.

The official said underpasses are being planned at Sector I-8 traffic signal, Kurri Road, near PWD Housing Scheme, Soan Garden Scheme, Japan Road and Defence Housing Authority (near Commoner’s Town). Interchanges would be built at Rawat, Koral Chowk and Soan and Khanna bridges. He said the Authority would install fences on both sides of the road on the pattern of the motorway, and no turning will be allowed from Faizabad to Airport Chowk.

More or less 200,000 vehicles run the length of this portion of the road each day, making it the busiest in the federal capital.

“The traffic load has increased tremendously and it has now become imperative that it be widened and made signal-free,” he said.`

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