Roads’ rehabilitation: Work to start next week: CDA

PM recently approved Rs5b special package for capital.

ISLAMABAD: A total of 11 construction firms have submitted their technical bids with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for an estimated Rs1.15 billion roads infrastructure rehabilitation project.

Under the first phase of the project — initiated under the prime minister’s special assistance package for Islamabad — rehabilitation, re-carpeting, and lane marking of various link and service roads of F and G series sectors will be completed.

On June 30, while inaugurating the Islamabad Expressway widening project, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced a Rs5 billion assistance package for the improvement of Islamabad’s roads network.

Tenders for the work were opened on Thursday on a single stage-two envelop procurement system.

Some 11 construction firms have shown interest to carry out the Rs1.02 billion rehabilitation work, while 15 firms for lane marking for the F and G series sectors.

“Scrutiny of technical bids will be completed by August 17. Financial bids of firms qualifying on technical grounds will be opened in the coming week,” shared CDA spokesperson Ramzan Sajid.

Sajid said work was likely to initiate on August 20, and is supposed to be completed in the next six months.

He said rehabilitation of the roads infrastructure and other facilities like sewerage lines had been envisaged under the premier’s special package for the capital.

The city’s rehabilitation work has been pending for over five years as no major repairs had been carried out in this period, said the spokesperson.

He said in the second phase of the project, road infrastructure of other residential and commercial sectors would be targeted.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2015.