High-rise solution: Gulberg-Babu Sabu elevated road work to start in Sept

Rs27 billion project to be completed in 12 months.

LAHORE:

Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is expected to start work on a 10-kilometre elevated road from Gulberg to Babu Sabu Interchange in September, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The Rs27 billion Elevated Express Highway will facilitate around 100,000 vehicles per day and reduce traffic load in key city areas.

According to LDA officials, the project proposal (PC-I) is in the final stages of preparation in consultation with the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK).

Contracts for land acquisition, shifting of electricity and gas lines and building of pylons on the Cantonment Drain have been awarded. Three pylons for the expressway have already been built on the drain, while a total of 337 more will be built.

The elevated road will start from Gulberg’s Main Boulevard and follow the route of the drain. The ramp on the drain will meet the main elevated highway at the canal. From there, the elevated expressway will travel into Shadman. It will cross Ferozepur Road at Shama. From Multan Road, it will turn towards Gulshan-i-Ravi, where pylons will be built on the green belt. From Gulshan-i-Ravi Road, the bridge will pass over Bund Road and end 1.5 kilometres from Babu Sabu.

LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed said the project would be completed in 12 months. “Around 800 kanals of land would be acquired for the project,” he said.

He said 740 kanals would be used for building an interchange and a bus station on Bund Road. “The acquisition of land for the project will be completed by the end of August.

Construction on the project will start in September,” Saeed said. He said the expressway will have eight lanes, four on each side.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2014.