Islamabad Expressway Work Begins

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started construction work on the project to convert Islamabad Highway into an expressway by constructing 11 underpasses and interchanges to ease the traffic flow, a CDA official said on Wednesday.He said the authority would construct a concrete road from Faizabad to Rawat to avoid rutting on the main highway that sometimes caused road accidents and hampered traffic flow.



“The Rs 1,676.919 million project includes seven underpasses and four interchanges on the highway from Faizabad Interchange to Rawat. These interchanges and underpasses are in addition to Zero Point Interchange whose design is under scrutiny by a consultant,” he said.The official said Islamabad Highway would be made signal-free and the project would take around a year for completion.

The designing of interchanges and underpasses is in final stage and work on them will be started following their approval by the CDA Board, he said.The official said the underpasses would be set up at Sector I-8 traffic signal, Kurri Road, near PWD Housing Scheme, Soan Garden Scheme, Japan Road and Defence Housing Authority, while interchanges at Rawat, Karal Chowk and Soan and Khanna bridges.

The CDA, he said, had designed a plan to divert traffic to other roads during the execution of project to ward off the traffic mess.He said Islamabad Highway plan included its expansion by one lane each of 12 feet on both sides. These lanes would be rigid lanes meant for flow of heavy traffic and separation of heavy and light traffic. app