Roadwork delay leads to traffic nightmare

Three weeks on, construction material chokes 13-D/2 junction

KARACHI:

A road improvement project that has yet to get off the ground has turned Church Mor in Gulshan-e-Iqbal's block 13-D/2 into a traffic bottleneck, with construction material lying unattended at the narrow junction for the past three weeks.

Residents have blamed the town administration for poor planning, arguing that the construction material should have been dumped along the much wider Church Road, where the proposed roadwork is to be carried out, rather than at the already congested junction. The haphazard placement of the material has severely restricted traffic movement, resulting in persistent traffic jams and making passage difficult for pedestrians.

According to residents, repeated complaints have been lodged with both the relevant union council and town administrations, urging them either to begin construction work without further delay or remove the material from the junction. However, they said, the only action taken so far was the removal of some pipes that had been lying there for nearly six months, while the road construction material remains untouched.

Residents also pointed out that St Philip's High School is situated close to Church Mor, forcing schoolchildren to negotiate the congested junction on foot. The spot is also an important thoroughfare for neighbourhood residents, many of whom face considerable difficulty navigating the area on foot.

They urged the authorities to remove the material immediately and ensure that the long-awaited roadwork is started without further delay.