Delays escalate Kachehri Chowk project cost
Ecnec also approved a project for construction of Dir Motorway at a cost of Rs39 billion. Photo: File
The most significant state-of-the-art Kachehri Chowk underpass and flyover project has been delayed for the fourth time due to a technical objection raised by the office of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) Station Commander.
Despite the release of Rs1.5 billion for the project and another Rs2.5 billion in the pipeline, the project has once again been postponed just 10 days before its commencement over a technical objection.
According to informed sources, officials of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) will meet with the RCB Station Commander next week and an effort will be made to remove the objection raised by his office in the meeting.
The sources said that an objection has been raised on the construction of the overhead bridge from District Kachehri Chowk to Jhelum Road and Swan Bridge.
According to the objection, there are sensitive offices and installations on both sides of the road and the security of the institutions might be affected by the construction of the overhead bridge.
While suggestions were being made to build an underpass instead of an overhead bridge at the location, the project officials believe that the construction of an underpass was not feasible in the area.
Therefore, to get the objection removed, a new proposal is being made to install strong sheet walls on the overhead bridge.
Firstly, from these sheet walls, nothing can be seen on either side of the bridge. Secondly, the vehicles will not be allowed to stop in the specific area of the overhead bridge.
If this proposal is approved, the mega project will start in the next month otherwise it will get delayed for a long time and its estimated cost will increase by Rs1 to Rs1.5 billion.
The contract for these projects has been awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). This project will be completed in 18 months.
A decade ago, the estimated cost of the project was Rs4.8. Due to the delay of two years, this estimated cost reached Rs5.8 billion.
With the third postponement, the estimated cost has increased to Rs6.4 billion while with the further postponement, the estimated cost will reach close to Rs8 billion.
The foundation stone of the project was supposed to be laid in the last week of January, but after this new technical objection, the project has been put on hold.
Earlier, the design of the project of Kachehri Chowk was altered from a double underpass to a single underpass and a flyover to make it financially more viable. Kachehri will be connected to the Amar Chowk underpass and will be entirely signal-free.
Under the altered design, a flyover will be constructed to cater to traffic coming from Rawat after the construction of the Kharian Motorway which will be connected to Grand Trunk Road and the proposed Rawalpindi Ring Road.
It is the only busiest intersection in Rawalpindi for the VVIP movement. This is also the busiest intersection for being close to the GHQ. According to data, more than 300,000 vehicles pass through this busiest road daily. This intersection remains busy with traffic from morning till late at night. Due to the VVIP movement, motorists, transports and citizens remain stuck in traffic.
Under the project, a variety of fruit-bearing and shade trees will be planted along highways.
An Environmental and Meteorological Assessment Station will also be set up at Kachehri Chowk to gauge environmental pollution and expected climate change. Single-level underpasses will be developed first as part of the project, and additional flyovers will be built to improve the flow of traffic under which traffic will pass through Kachehri Chowk at level one and level two.
Traffic will pass through a single lane from Rawat to Murrir Chowk and the old airport, while the remaining 53.9% of traffic will be signal-free. Piles will be set at a distance of 3,300 feet from the existing structures around the chowk before the excavation for the project's construction work.
A part of the old mosque along the main entrance of the old district courts, dozens of lawyers 'chambers, a large part of a petrol pump, a portion of the commissioner's office premises and the boundary wall of the civil defence department will be razed to make way for the project.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2023.