LDA awards contracts for two projects

[Salman]

LAHORE

THE Lahore Development Authority has awarded contracts worth Rs. 1.47 billion for execution of two major infrastructure development projects in the provincial metropolis.

These projects include construction of a seven-kilometer long Signal Free Corridors from Qurtaba Chowk, Jail Road, to Liberty Roundabout, Main Boulevard, Gulberg, at a cost of rupees 1.3 billion as well as improvement of Southern Bypass Road from Thokar Niaz Beg Chowk to Wapda Town Roundabout (both sides) at a cost of rupees 170 million.

The work for construction of Signal Free Corridor at Jail Road and Main Boulevard, Gulberg, will start in a couple of weeks and is expected to be finished within a period of four months. The task of execution of this project was assigned to Habib Construction Services on Saturday after a bidding process which had been participated by four companies including National Logistic Cell, ZKB-Reliable, Habib Construction Services and AKB-IKAN.

The signal free corridor will start from Qartaba Chowk and end at Liberty roundabout. Two underpasses and seven signal free U-Turns will be constructed under this project. This first underpass will be constructed at Shadman Chowk for traffic coming from China Chowk and going to Shadman Market. There will be uninterrupted traffic flow coming from The Mall to Shadman and vice versa as a result of construction of this underpass. It will enable uninterrupted signal free traffic flow along Jail road.

The second underpass will be constructed near Sherpao Bridge for traffic plying going towards Canal Bridge. Due to construction of underpass at Fawara Chowk crossing, there will be uninterrupted flow of traffic on Jail Road and Main Boulevard Gulberg and vice versa.

Seven Signal Free U-Turns will be constructed at Eden Centre Chowk, Shadman Chowk, PIC Chowk, Canal Road, Zafar Ali Road, Fawara Chowk, Main Market Chowk and Zahoor Elahi Chowk crossings.

This signal free corridor will be located in the hub of the city accommodating best educational, health facilitation centres and business hub areas.

The main objective of the construction of signal free corridor is to facilitate the commuters so that they will get rid of long queues and traffic jams at the abovementioned junctions/crossings.

After making signal free corridors, there will be no traffic congestions in front of educational Institutions like Lahore College for Women University, Kinnaird College and APWA College. Remodelling of Liberty Roundabout will help to avoid merging conflicts.

Due to signal free corridors, there will be timesaving and easy access for patients and ambulances to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Services Hospital. Also there will be Significant time and fuel saving of general public due to signal free corridors.

Construction of four pedestrian bridges will also be constructed at a cost of Rs. 60 million along this route.