Development projects: Road building causes massive disruption

SP suggests people listen to traffic radio which airs updates every five minutes.

LAHORE:

Traffic on major roads taking off Canal Road remained suspended for hours on Monday as The Mall-Canal Road intersection was closed for work on the ongoing Canal Road expansion project. Similar disruption was witnessed on Ferozepur Road due to the Muslim Town fly over project.

The road was also closed for traffic near Punjab University’s Quaid-i-Azam campus for traffic for the second time in 10 days, leading to traffic jams on The Mall, Zafar Ali Road, Jail Road and Sundardas Road.

The Canal Road expansion project, earlier scheduled for inauguration on December 16, is now expected to be completed by January 16.

The intersections on the road will be closed one after other for carpeting of the road and installation of overhead pedestrian bridges. Sections of Ferozepur Road will also be blocked for the flyover project, scheduled to be completed by March 23.

Umair, a motorcyclist said that it had taken him one and a half hour to reach the Canal Road from Davis Road and an hour to reach Johar Town from there.

Waseem Riaz, driving from Faisal Chowk to Cantonment, said that traffic police had failed to control the situation. “Despite four wardens at every square, drivers were openly violating rules.” He said it had taken him two hours to reach his house in Cantt from Faisal Chowk.

Asif Cheema, the Sadar division superintendent of police, told The Express Tribune that more than 300 wardens have been deployed at the diversions to help the flow of traffic. However, he said, the traffic situation would not be normal for another week.

“Once The Mall and Jail Road intersections are completed, the situation will certainly improve,” he said.

He said that two Ferozepur Road lanes at the Muslim Town would remain open at all times. After the completion of the Canal Road expansion project, traffic will be diverted to it from Wahdat Road. He suggested that people listen to traffic radio [FM 88.8], as it was updated every five minutes.

Diversion schedule for the week

Canal Road from Jail Road to FC College underpass will remain closed to traffic all day on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the section from Jail Road to The Mall will be closed. The section from the Doctors’ Hospital to Jinnah Hospital will be closed from Thursday to Friday and that from Jinnah Hospital to Punjab University Campus will be closed over the weekend.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2011.