Estimated cost increases from Rs430m to Rs550m following revised PC-I. PHOTO: FILE
Construction work on the Mareer Railway Bridge Expansion Project, which was halted due to a shortage of funds, has restarted and is likely to be completed by the end of May this year.
The project is being run by the National Logistics Cell (NLC), whose manpower and heavy machinery are busy working round the clock to complete the work on a fast-track basis.
In January this year, former MNA Malik Shakeel Awan had said almost 40 per cent of work on the project had been completed while the remaining 60 per cent would be completed by mid-March.
Awan, under whose tenure the project kicked off, said the remaining funds of Rs120 million had been released to the project’s executing body, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).
The cost of the project, which was previously an estimated Rs430 million,
has been increased to Rs550 million following approval
of a revised PC-I by the Provincial Development Working Party.
RDA Director General Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed said a change in the railway bridge’s design was the reason for the cost increase.
Both tunnels on Benazir Bhutto Road under the railway bridge were being widened to 65 feet to ease traffic congestion at the chowk, which will eventually be signal-free, he added.
RDA’s consultant had proposed the construction of a 237-tonne railway steel bridge which was modified to 480-tonnes following directives from the country’s Railways authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2013.
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