PC-I prepared All eyes turn to 6th Road flyover

[Salman]

PC-I prepared All eyes turn to 6th Road flyover

RAWALPINDI, March 17: Authorities in Rawalpindi have prepared the PC-I for the planned construction of Sixth Road flyover estimating the tentative cost of the project at Rs820 million with length of 248 metres.

The executing agency – Communication and Works (C&W) Department will submit the final summary with Planning and Development (P&D) Department Lahore for formal approval next week.

Superintendent Engineer C&W Farhat Munir told Dawn that construction of the project will kick off after the approval of Punjab government adding that the project will be completed within 90 days after completing initial formalities.

“We will soon submit the PC-II of the project and after that the civil work will begin as we have already submitted feasibility report of the project,” said Mr Munir whose office will execute the second project after successfully completing Chandni Chowk
flyover.

The Sixth Road flyover may prove an ease to motorists and passengers but would also prove a big boost for the contractor National Logistic Cell (NLC) and consultant Engineering Associate that will be undertaking another venture without taking part in any tender.

The army-run contractor according to sources has undertaken the entire mega projects in Rawalpindi without participating in open tender competition it has been engaged in Sixth Road flyover without issuing of any tenders for the contract.

According to local contractors involved in construction industry, any project that is undertaken with the help of tax payers’ money should be floated in tenders so that an open competition is ensured.

“There are hundreds of recognised contractors that can undertake contracts worth billions but nobody asks them. At least the legal criteria for awarding contract should be followed,” President Government Welfare Contractors Association Rawalpindi
division Chaudhry Hafeez told Dawn.

He said the hundreds of Category-A1 contractors in Rawalpindi and the rest of country were waiting for tenders but a blue-eyed was awarded multi-million projects.

According to traffic engineers, the construction of Sixth Road flyover will significantly reduce traffic congestion on Benazir Bhutto Road as the recently-built Chandni Chowk flyover was not enough to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Mr Munir, the CW chief in Rawalpindi also underlined the importance of Sixth Road flyover saying that the project will provide additional volume to growing vehicular traffic and will put an end to traffic jams.