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The long awaited signal free Islamabad Expressway ( from Faisal Chowk Islamabad to T-Chowk on G.T. Road Rawat) project to ensure smooth traffic on 27 kilometres long thoroughfare may be materialized within this year as the government is likely to release Rs10.7 billion in the next fiscal year 2019-20.
Talking to this agency, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Ali Nawaz Awan said the project has been placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
He said that the project would be released in Public Sector Development Programme of the next financial year after getting ECNEC s approval.
He said due to growth of housing societies along the express way, which takes two hours to reach the Grand-Trunk Road (GT) forcing commuters to bear chronic traffic congestion.
Meanwhile, people including school and office goers commuting from Kurang nullah to Rawat and vice versa were facing daily sever traffic jams especially during peak hours for the last couple of years.
From Faisal Chowk to Gulberg Green, the five lane road on a single way have already been ready. The CDA had to construct three interchanges, at Sohan, the Khanna Pull and the Korang Chowk to turn it into Signal Free Corridor in the first phase, which is now completed.
As soon as Govt finally approves the budget for remaining part of Corridor, it is hoped that the CDA will soon start working on the widening of the narrow two-lane bridges on Korang Nullah and the Railway over-head bridge, a couple of kilometres ahead towards Rawat.
Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has identified 21 more points for crossing bridges on the 27 km long Islamabad Expressway to ensure the safety of pedestrians and the free flow of traffic.
ITP Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Farrukh Rashid has asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to build 21 additional pedestrian bridges and underpasses at the identified spots from Faisal Mosque to Rawat. He told that this is the only way to accommodate the huge flow of traffic and a large number of population on both sides of the road. There are several critical patches along the Expressway such as Sohan to Kak Bridge where maximum public movement takes place and in recent past, has recorded quite a few cases of accidents. At the moment, only four overhead bridges are carrying the burden of the population of the twin cities which is certainly not enough to accommodate thousands of people commuting on an everyday basis. It is pertinent to mention here that Expressway is an inter-provincial artery which requires immediate attention by the authorities for its ever-increasing traffic issues and pedestrian’s safety.
In this matter, the CDA’s spokesman said that six bridges have already been constructed for the movement of pedestrians and motorbikes on Islamabad Expressway whereas four more similar projects are likely to be accomplished by the end of this year. It will help achieve the purpose of the signal-free corridor on the major artery of the federal capital.
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