Islamabad: Work on another interchange, flyovers on Expressway soon

[Naveed Yaseen]

Capital Development Authority (CDA) will initiate construction work of another interchange and flyovers on Islamabad Expressway shortly after the designing of the project completes.

“The projects are in their designing phase and work in this regard will be launched soon after all formalities are completed,” said a senior CDA official Thursday.

“We have dropped the plan to construct underpasses and now we will erect flyovers on all intersections. Some modest interchanges will be constructed on the Highway in different phases,” said the CDA official.

He said the construction of interchange at Karal Chowk is their priority. The project would be executed in different phases. Besides this, a flyover would also be built on Kuri Chowk and an intersection has been planned for Lehtrar Chowk. The project is in its planning phase that would be followed by the construction work.

The official said about a dozen interchanges and flyovers are planned to be constructed on the Expressway, as work on two additional rigid lanes has already been completed, making it the widest road of the country. The project is meant to provide separate ways for heavy traffic, which sometimes also causes traffic accidents and disrupts the traffic flow.

“The multi-billion project includes seven flyovers and four interchanges on the Expressway from Faizabad Interchange to Rawat and are in addition to the under-construction Zero Point Interchange,” he said. He said the Islamabad Highway would be made signal-free and the project would take about two years to complete. After completion of the design, the Authority would start the hiring of contractors for execution of the project.

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

About 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 for the road to be widened and made signal-free,” he added.

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