Leh Expressway project. PHOTO: FILE
NESKPAK will complete the Rs47 million contract in collaboration with two other companies.
Rawalpindi Development Authority as an executive agency would oversee the project being built on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.
The 23-km-long expressway from Soan River Bridge to Kashmir Highway is planned to achieve alternative traffic route between the twin cities, Rawalpindi Islamabad. Besides eliminating environmental pollution caused by open sewerage in Nala Leh, the expressway will help create economic activity along its sides too.
The basic aim of the project is to provide an alternative route between Rawalpindi and Islamabad and construct a flood channel. He said floods in Leh Nullah created problems during every monsoon and after the project the issue would be resolved.
According to the initial plan, the 22-kilometre-long signal-free expressway would be constructed on both sides of the Leh Nullah from Rawalpindi to Islamabad.
There would be interchanges at the Katarian Bridge, Moti Mahal and Ammar Chowk. Eight flyovers and 10 bridges will be constructed on the expressway. The project would ease the traffic congestion on both Benazir Bhutto and the Airport roads.
The Leh Expressway project was launched in March 2007 by then President Pervez Musharraf. The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) was awarded the contract which started the work and was to complete the project in two years.
However, the project was shelved during the 2008 general elections. After coming to power in Punjab, the PML-N government feared that the completion of the expressway would politically benefit Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the architect of the project.
Ring Road project
The government has once again made changes in the plans for Rawalpindi Ring Road project.
Government has decided to construct economic zones around eight interchanges in the project in a bid to boost the local economy, a Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) official said requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media.
However, the length of the road has been shrunk to 35 kilometres (km) only from 54km while the starting and ending points of it have also been changed.
The Ring Road would now start from the Radio Pakistan building on GT Road instead of the previously chosen point of Banth on the same road whereas the road would end near a site of a private housing society.
The cost saved from the cut in road length would be utilised for acquiring land for the economic zones.
Another significant change in the project was the exclusion of eight-km-long and 12-km-long link roads from Rawat and Tarnol respectively. However, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has been given the authority to construct a link road from Tarnol.
The preparation of the feasibility study report of the project is underway by Zeeruk Private Limited Company.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2019.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ