Project completed: Major Ring Road link opens for traffic

Heavy traffic can now bypass Lahore.

LAHORE:

The 3.1 kilometre long Khaira Distibutory Road is expected to be inaugurated on Sunday. The road has been open for traffic for two weeks.

Traffic on the Lahore Ring Road is expected to increase with the completion of the Khaira Distributory Road that links Package 17 of Ring Road to Ferozepur Road.

The construction of Khaira Distibutory Road began in May 2012 with a six-month deadline. Additions to the scope of work delayed the project by several months and several deadlines were missed.



Traffic on the Ring Road was previously limited to the Airport as the road ended a few kilometres short of Ferozepur Road along Defence. The road was mostly used by residents of nearby localities.

The construction of the Ring Road stretch linking it to Ferozepur Road is expected to take several more months as the government is yet to decide the financing mode. According to the plan, eight kilometres tarmac will be laid, (there is a loop in the design), to connect it to Ferozepur Road.

The project had provided originally to the reconstruction and widening of the 10-foot wide Khaira Distributary Road to 24-feet on both sides.

After the construction began The Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) realised that the road could not be built without addressing the problem of sewerage drains. It was decided that the sewerage drain would be relocated from the edge of the road to the centre.

The LRRA also removed encroachments and purchased land near Ferozepur Road.



Two sewerage lines, 700 metres and 720 metres long, were laid to address the problem of sewerage for adjoining localities. The total cost of the project, including the relocation of services, land acquisition, construction of a drain and the road was Rs408 million.

After the construction of Khaira Distributory Road, traffic from Kasur can use the Ring Road to travel to main city and exit through the GT Road.

Asked about the volume of traffic,  Lahore Ring Road Authority Enforcement Director Col Asim said, “Because the road has not been inaugurated officially, we have not started compiling usage data...that will happen after the inauguration.”

Lahore Ring Road Authority Deputy Director Najam Waheed said that additions in the scope of work had caused delays and some deadlines could not be met due to a time lag in the relocation of services.

He said that the project would benefit commuters on Ferozepur Road who, otherwise, would have to pass through the city to reach the other side. He said heavy traffic from Kasur headed towards northern Lahore and beyond could now bypass the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2013.