" Leh Expressway is
linked with political
connotation. But
we are certainly
responsible and will
address traffic woes,"
DCO Rawalpindi Saqib Zafar. PHOTO: AGHA MEHROZ/FILE
According to a new feasibility report a meeting of Lahore Planning and Development Department was held yesterday which was chaired by the Federal Minister of Railways Sheikh Rasheed.
It was decided at the meeting that the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) would be the executive agency while the commissioner would be the project director.
It was decided to make a new PC-1. The minister also decided to form a high level steering committee to oversee the progress of the project. A new design of the Expressway would be made from Sawan Adda to IJP road.
Sources disclosed to Daily Express that the federal government refused to provide funds for the project due to its expected cost of Rs50 billion.
FWO ready to build Leh Expressway in Rawalpindi
The project was then decided to be constructed on a public private partnership. The new design also proposed a commercial basis alongside the expressway to meet expenditures.
The road will be 38-km long. The alignment of this road will start from the Channi Sher Alam Bridge on GT Road and end at the Thalian interchange on the M-2 motorway between Rawalpindi and Lahore near the Islamabad International Airport along with link roads from Rawat and Tarnol. Four intersections will also be constructed.
This project will help alleviate congestion in the central area of Rawalpindi and it will make space and reduce travel time within the twin cities.
The work on this project slowed under the PML-N government but now has been accelerated on the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar as the Ring Road is a much-needed project for the twin cities.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2019.
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