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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Expressway project which has already missed two deadlines has received a new deadline, as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chief Muhammad Ali Randhawa asked the department concerned to wrap up the project by Aug 14 instead of Sept 30.
The CDA chairman visited the project site and asked the contractor to complete the ongoing work by Aug 14. “To make Expressway a signal-free corridor, the work should be completed for its inauguration on August 14,” he told the contractor and CDA’s engineering staff during the inspection.
According to a press release issued by the CDA, the chairman said that on the direction of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, this project saw significant progress in recent months.
The statement quoted the chairman as saying that there should be no compromise on the quality and that he was tasked to oversee the project by the interior minister. The original deadline for the project was March 2024, which was extended to September 30 this year.
Deadline shortened to Aug 14 from Sept 30
However, the CDA chairman set a new deadline and asked the staff to complete the project by August 14.
CDA officials told Dawn that the Aug 14 inauguration was feasible because the project witnessed significant progress over the past few months due to constant checks on the contractor and the engineering wing by the chairman. They said that the work on several bridges – part of the project – has been completed whereas the railways bridge has 90pc of its work finished.
The Binder Bridge is under construction, however.
“…we are in a position to complete this project as soon as possible. The extended deadline of the project is September 30, but as per the direction of the CDA chairman, the project can be opened by August 14,” said an official of CDA. The Expressway is one of the main roads in the federal capital and caters to both light and heavy traffic, particularly between Islamabad and Lahore.
The CDA had awarded a contract worth Rs10.9 billion to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for the rehabilitation and expansion of the seven-kilometre portion of the Expressway, from PWD Interchange to G.T. Road in Rawat on September 2022.
The road has only two lanes on each side and after the PWD, bottlenecks disrupt traffic on a daily basis.
On the other hand, due to ongoing work, motorists have been facing serious traffic congestion issues daily and they are desperate to see completion of work.