Three mega projects face roadblock

The Punjab government has allocated a paltry sum in the next year's fiscal budget for three major road infrastructure projects in Rawalpindi, which have already been facing delays for the last several years.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs120 million for the land acquisition of the Rawalpindi Expressway and Flood Channel project, which has been delayed for the last 17 years.

The cost of the Leh expressway and channel project has already reached Rs100 billion due to long delays.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government had approved the project through the forum of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Work on the project has been halted after a change of government.

Work on the state-of-the-art Leh Expressway project, which has been pending for 16 years, could not be started by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government even though two members of the National Assembly from Rawalpindi Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Sheikh Rashid Shafique were allies of the previous government.

The signal-free Leh Express will be built from Ammar Chowk to New Kataria. The Leh Expressway and flood channel project has been envisaged to avoid the catastrophe of Nullah Leh, as an alternative traffic route.

According to the new design, the Leh Expressway will be deepened further by 8 meters to 11.5 meters total while its minimum width will be 25 to 35 metres. The expressway will have 15 feet wide road on both sides from the Sawan River to Ammar Chowk with barriers to protect it from the intrusion of humans and animals.

The proposed project would not only provide a new alternative traffic route in Rawalpindi but also the sewage treatment plant at Gorakhpur through the open sewage cord trunks of Nala Leh due to the flood channel project and eliminate air pollution due to drainage caused by Nala Leh.

Similarly, the Punjab government has allocated only Rs630 million for the land acquisition of the Rawalpindi Ring Road, the contract of which was awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation by the previous government and preliminary work had been started on the project.

The total cost of the project has been estimated at Rs26 billion but the Punjab government has allocated only Rs630 million for the project, which is also insufficient for the land acquisition of the project.

The 38.3-kilometre-long Rawalpindi Ring Road project was inaugurated by former prime minister Imran Khan on March 19.

The RDA awarded the contract to the Frontier Works Organisation, however, since the inauguration of the project, no agreement has been reached between the FWO and the project director regarding the execution of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project.

The 38.3-kilometre-long ring road will have six lanes. It will start from Banth GT Road near Rawat and culminate at Thalian near Motorway. The ring road will have a total of five interchanges at Banth, Chak Bailey Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thalian Interchange on the motorway (M-2).

Similarly, the Punjab government has allocated only Rs500 million for the Katchehry Chowk underpass and a flyover project.

The process of awarding the contract had been completed and the total cost of the project has been estimated at Rs4 billion. However, due to the dissolution of the previous government, work on the project has also been slowed down.

It is the only busiest intersection in Rawalpindi for the VVIP movement. This is also the busiest intersection for being close to the GHQ.

According to data, more than 300,000 vehicles pass through this busiest road daily. This intersection remains busy with traffic from morning till late at night.

Due to the VVIP movement, motorists, transports and citizens remain stuck in traffic.

An Environmental and Meteorological Assessment Station will also be set up at Katchehri Chowk to gauge environmental pollution and expected climate change.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2022.