Government mulls extending Leh Expressway by 8km
Project to also include commercial area, flood canal amid ballooning cost
Project to also include commercial area, flood canal amid ballooning. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
The government has decided to stretch the proposed Leh Expressway by eight kilometres, apart from introducing some changes in its infrastructure to include a commercial area, flood channel and a sewerage drain.
The estimated cost of the project has also now increased to Rs79.517 billion.
To be built on public-private partnership, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), the executing authority on the project, has been swiftly working on the project and has decided to hold weekly meetings between the RDA, representatives of the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).
The road will now be 19-kilometres long. The expressway will start from Sawan Adda near the high court and would be linked with Ammar Shaheed Chowk with an additional six-kilometre-stretch of road.
After New Katarian, an 11-kilometre-long-road will link it with the Agha Shahi Avenue in Islamabad with an additional two-kilometre road.
A commercial area, stretching throughout the highway, will be built alongside the expressway to cover some of the expenses incurred in the project.
Moreover, a flood channel will be built in the middle of the Leh Nullah along with two sewerage trunks on both sides from which the city’s sewerage would fall into the Sawan River.
This sewerage water will be treated at a treatment plant to be set up at Ghorakpur down the river. Later, this treated water would be used for irrigation and the residue as fertilizer.
Moreover, feasibility, transaction advisory consultant and terms of references (ToRs) are being prepared for the project.
The two-lane project is proposed to have two interchanges, 11 flyovers and three underpasses.
In 2001, the floods caused devastation, killing around 72 people and also cost a loss of more than three billion rupees after which the decision to construct Leh Expressway was made.
A study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) suggested to improve the river’s channel, built a dam for flood mitigation and flood diversion to end flooding permanently.
The project was estimated to cost Rs19 billion when it was first suggested in 2006. However, it was shelved by the subsequent governments after the general elections in 2008.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2019.
The government has decided to stretch the proposed Leh Expressway by eight kilometres, apart from introducing some changes in its infrastructure to include a commercial area, flood channel and a sewerage drain.
The estimated cost of the project has also now increased to Rs79.517 billion.
To be built on public-private partnership, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), the executing authority on the project, has been swiftly working on the project and has decided to hold weekly meetings between the RDA, representatives of the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).
The road will now be 19-kilometres long. The expressway will start from Sawan Adda near the high court and would be linked with Ammar Shaheed Chowk with an additional six-kilometre-stretch of road.
After New Katarian, an 11-kilometre-long-road will link it with the Agha Shahi Avenue in Islamabad with an additional two-kilometre road.
A commercial area, stretching throughout the highway, will be built alongside the expressway to cover some of the expenses incurred in the project.
Moreover, a flood channel will be built in the middle of the Leh Nullah along with two sewerage trunks on both sides from which the city’s sewerage would fall into the Sawan River.
This sewerage water will be treated at a treatment plant to be set up at Ghorakpur down the river. Later, this treated water would be used for irrigation and the residue as fertilizer.
Moreover, feasibility, transaction advisory consultant and terms of references (ToRs) are being prepared for the project.
The two-lane project is proposed to have two interchanges, 11 flyovers and three underpasses.
In 2001, the floods caused devastation, killing around 72 people and also cost a loss of more than three billion rupees after which the decision to construct Leh Expressway was made.
A study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) suggested to improve the river’s channel, built a dam for flood mitigation and flood diversion to end flooding permanently.
The project was estimated to cost Rs19 billion when it was first suggested in 2006. However, it was shelved by the subsequent governments after the general elections in 2008.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2019.