Rawalpindi: Work on Elevated Expressway to start on 24th

[Naveed Yaseen]

* RDA official says multibillion project will ease traffic load between the Mall and Faizabad

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is likely to perform groundbreaking of the Rs 10 billion Elevated Expressway project on October 24, it’s learnt reliably.

An RDA (Rawalpindi Development Authority) official said all necessary arrangements had been made for the start of work on the three-year project, which was aimed at reducing traffic congestion on Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road, previously known as Murree Road, between the Mall and Faizabad.

He said the RDA had been awaiting the Chief Minister’s Secretariat’s response to its request for the project’s groundbreaking ceremony projected for October 24.

The official said the function’s schedule was expected to be finalised in the next few days.

He said the NESPAK (National Engineering Services of Pakistan) had prepared geometric design of the Elevated Expressway and had done its topographic survey.

He said the RDA had made elaborate arrangements for managing Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road traffic following the start of work on the expressway.

According to the plan, the Elevated Expressway will run over Murree Road from the Mall (Flashman’s Hotel) to Faizabad and then turn to Islamabad Highway via Faizabad Interchange (already in place). It will later divert from proposed Zero Point Interchange to Kashmir Highway and lead to Pak Secretariat either via Kashmir Highway/Constitution Avenue or Khayaban-e-Suharwardy.

The proposed expressway will have six lanes and four interchanges for it will be constructed at Mareer Chowk, Chandani Chowk, 6th Road and Shamsabad.

The RDA official said once the expressway was opened to traffic, motorists would be able to cover a distance of around 25 kilometers in less than 10 to 15 minutes between the Mall and Faizabad.

He said the project would help motorists save both fuel and time. He said the expressway would be completed in three phases – first from the Mall to Mareer Chowk, second Mareer Chowk to Chandni Chowk and third from Chandni Chowk to Faizabad.

He said the road from Mareer Chowk to Chandni Chowk would be constructed first and then it would be connected with the Mall and Faizabad.

The official said the RDA had set 36 months time frame for construction of the expressway patch between Mareer Chowk and Chandni Chowk and 46 months for the rest of the work.

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