Construction is expected to begin in June, says TEPA. PHOTO: APP
The Traffic Engineering and Traffic Planning Agency is expected to start construction of 4.4 kilometre road, connecting Multan Road and Khyaban-i-Jinnah, in June, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The road is expected to address traffic congestion problems on Multan Road and Raiwind Road, and will pass through five residential colonies in the city.
The project includes an elevated u-turn and a bridge over the canal.
TEPA officials have said that the construction is expected to cost Rs2.3 billion. It will save road users travelling from Multan Road to Khyaban-i-Jinnah 3.5km, they said.
The PC-1 for the project was approved at a Planning and Works Department meeting last week. Fifteen houses will be acquired and demolished to construct the road.
The construction will begin from the Motorway terminal at Shahpur Interchange and an elevated u-turn will be built where an NLC depot currently stands. The u-turn will cater to traffic coming from the Motorway to the Multan Road, travelling out of the city.
A bridge, more than 500 metres in length, will be constructed over the canal and Mohlanwal Road. The bridge, to be built on land yet to be procured, will have two slip-lanes, an up-ramp and a down-ramp for traffic on Mohlanwal Road.
The bridge will end at Doctors’ Colony from where a three-lane dual carriage way will lead to the Excise and Taxation Colony.
From the E&T Colony, the road will lead to the Punjab University Employees Housing Scheme. The road will intersect Raiwind Road and go through Green Fort-3 Housing Society up till Wapda Town Phase Two. From there the road will enter Wapda Town ending in front of Abaseen Avenue on Khyaban-i-Jinnah.
More than 200 kanals land will have to be purchased and several structures demolished to build the road. The road connecting Punjab University to the E&T Colony will become a part of this project and no additional land will be purchased from the PU.
Small tracts of land will be purchased from the E&T Colony and Wapda Town Phase Two. Some land from Doctors’ Colony and Green Fort Housing Society will also be purchased.
TEPA Additional Chief Engineer Khalid Alvi said a Section 4 notification (informing people that land is required for a project of public interest) has been issued to the owners of these properties. He said acquisition of these properties is expected to be completed in May. He said construction will begin in June and will be completed in three to four months.
He said the owners will be compensated handsomely.
He said presently, the distance commuters cover while travelling from Multan Road, Shahpur to Khyban-i-Jinnah till Abaseen Avenue, is 8 km. The new road will reduce it to 4.4 km. He said it would save commuters time and fuel and also mitigate the problem of traffic congestion on the Multan Road and Raiwind Road.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2014.
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