Traffic woes: Increased horn-honking awakens MPAs, authorities
Leh Expressway might become a reality, Benazir Bhutto Road to get a flyover.
RAWALPINDI:
The nerve-wracking traffic congestions on Rawalpindi roads have finally caught the attention of the public representatives who have come up with new strategies to address the longstanding problem.
The members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) from the city met with the official of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Friday and discussed possible solutions to the problem including construction of a flyover on Benazir Bhutto Road (BBR), a tunnel near Marrir Hassan Chowk and resumption of work on the Leh Expressway.
An officila privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that in the coming days the MPAs would meet the CM and try to convince him about resumption of work on the Leh expressway.
Earlier, the contract of constructing roads on both sides of Leh from New Katarian to Chaklala Scheme-III was given to Frontier Works Organization (FWO). The contractor had also started work on the multi-billion-rupee project. But it was abandoned with the change of government in 2008.
The FWO moved a court to stop RDA from encashing its sureties deposited as it was ready to carry out work on the project according to the terms of the contract.
To ease the traffic congestion on the busy Benazir Bhutto Road, formerly known as the Murree Road, the Punjab government has allocated Rs1.3 billion for construction of a flyover on the road. The bridge will be constructed from Benazir Bhutto Hospital to Sixth Road.
The authorities have also allocated Rs400 million for construction of a kilometre-long tunnel under the Railway Bridge at Marrir Hassan Chowk during this year, it has been leant.
The elected representatives of Rawalpindi have also decided to convince the Punjab chief minister to allocate fund for the construction of the expressway on both sides of Leh drain to substantially ease the traffic load on BBR and other roads of the city.
A source privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that the provincial government had approved the construction of a two-kilometre long flyover. He hoped that the PC-I of the project would be approved soon.
The flyover will ease the pressure of traffic coming from Rawal Road to BB Road and ensure its smooth flow to Islamabad. The flyover will also ease the pressure on the Chandni Chowk, Sadiqabad, Rehmanabad Chowk and Sixth Road intersection.
The meeting was also informed that the construction of the tunnel would further ease the burden of the traffic on the main road.
The two projects were approved after the idea of Elevated Express Highway could not be materialised by the Punjab government as certain quarters raised objections to the idea.
Soon after the 2008 general elections Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced to construct the Elevated Expressway from Flashman Hotel Chowk to Faizabad on the BB Road but the idea had to be dropped after it was declared non-feasible.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2011.
The nerve-wracking traffic congestions on Rawalpindi roads have finally caught the attention of the public representatives who have come up with new strategies to address the longstanding problem.
The members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) from the city met with the official of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Friday and discussed possible solutions to the problem including construction of a flyover on Benazir Bhutto Road (BBR), a tunnel near Marrir Hassan Chowk and resumption of work on the Leh Expressway.
An officila privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that in the coming days the MPAs would meet the CM and try to convince him about resumption of work on the Leh expressway.
Earlier, the contract of constructing roads on both sides of Leh from New Katarian to Chaklala Scheme-III was given to Frontier Works Organization (FWO). The contractor had also started work on the multi-billion-rupee project. But it was abandoned with the change of government in 2008.
The FWO moved a court to stop RDA from encashing its sureties deposited as it was ready to carry out work on the project according to the terms of the contract.
To ease the traffic congestion on the busy Benazir Bhutto Road, formerly known as the Murree Road, the Punjab government has allocated Rs1.3 billion for construction of a flyover on the road. The bridge will be constructed from Benazir Bhutto Hospital to Sixth Road.
The authorities have also allocated Rs400 million for construction of a kilometre-long tunnel under the Railway Bridge at Marrir Hassan Chowk during this year, it has been leant.
The elected representatives of Rawalpindi have also decided to convince the Punjab chief minister to allocate fund for the construction of the expressway on both sides of Leh drain to substantially ease the traffic load on BBR and other roads of the city.
A source privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that the provincial government had approved the construction of a two-kilometre long flyover. He hoped that the PC-I of the project would be approved soon.
The flyover will ease the pressure of traffic coming from Rawal Road to BB Road and ensure its smooth flow to Islamabad. The flyover will also ease the pressure on the Chandni Chowk, Sadiqabad, Rehmanabad Chowk and Sixth Road intersection.
The meeting was also informed that the construction of the tunnel would further ease the burden of the traffic on the main road.
The two projects were approved after the idea of Elevated Express Highway could not be materialised by the Punjab government as certain quarters raised objections to the idea.
Soon after the 2008 general elections Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced to construct the Elevated Expressway from Flashman Hotel Chowk to Faizabad on the BB Road but the idea had to be dropped after it was declared non-feasible.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2011.