Expressway expansion: Scope slashed drastically

Many components of the project’s second and third phases have now been dropped

ISLAMABAD:

The scope of work of the underconstruction Islamabad Expressway expansion project has significantly been slashed by nearly one third.

Initial estimates suggest that the drastic reduction in the project’s scope will lower its cost from the approved Rs21.8 billion to around Rs8 billion.

The project, a signal-free and controlled access corridor from Zero Point to Rawat, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on June 30, 2015.

The entire project will be completed in three phases.

The first phase was completed recently with a budget of Rs1.8 billion, comprising the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing roadway from Zero Point to Faizabad. It also included the construction of an interchange at the Sector I-8 intersection, which is nearing completion.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) invited tenders for the second phase for upgradation of the highway between Faizabad and Airport Chowk on a ‘design and build’ basis at a cost of Rs6.6 billion.

“Three construction firms were prequalified who submitted technical and financial bids for the second phase. However, the process is now scrapped, and it has been decided that the CDA itself will design the project,” said CDA Member Engineering Shahid Sohail.

According to the original plan, this phase of the project was supposed to entail the dual carriageway service roads on each side of the highway, as well as the construction of a number of pedestrian bridges, walkways, bus shelters, and installation of efficient LED lighting.



At present, the second phase has been limited to the construction of three bridges between Faizabad and Airport Chowk – one each at Lehtrar Road, Koral Chowk and Sohan-Kuri roads; while the rest of the planned components have been dropped.

“With the introduction of changes, we are expecting that the cost of the second phase will be reduced from Rs6.6 billion to Rs2.5 billion, approximately,” Sohail added.

With the construction of three interchanges, the highway will be made signal-free between Zero Point and Airport Chowk, Sohail said. The highway is already 10 lanes – five on each side – between Faizabad and Airport Chowk.

The major component of the project, referred to as the Rs13.2 billion third phase, comprised of the construction of three additional lanes on either side of the highway. It also included the complete rehabilitation of the existing two lanes on either side, the construction of underpasses, and five interchanges between Airport Chowk and Rawat. This final phase has also been largely reduced in scope to just two interchanges, one each at Japan Road and GT Road.

At the project’s inauguration, the PM had announced Rs5 billion package for the civic agency. Of this amount, Rs1.5 billion has been set aside for road recarpeting, patch work, lane marking and signage works of 132 intra-city roads. In addition, the first phase was completed at a cost of Rs1.8 billion under the package. The second phase will partially be funded from the package, while the CDA will fund the remaining amount from its own resources.

The CDA has asked housing societies to construct bridges connecting with the existing highway at their own cost to ensure hassle-free entry to their respective colonies, said an official of the authority’s engineering wing.

A 12.5-km patch of the highway between Airport Chowk and Rawat is in a dilapidated condition, while private land developers have established housing colonies on either of its sides.

Investors and the public who invested in these housing societies were most interested in the project, but the CDA’s latest decision has sent a wave of distress among them.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2016.