Narrow Bridge, Recurring Potholes Leave Highway Commuters Frustrated

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Feb, 2020 ) :The narrow Korang bridge,recurring ditches, potholes and unnecessary delay in the rehabilitation of 13 kilometer stretch of Islamabad Highway from Korang bridge to Rawat has frustrated the commuters as no remedy in sight.

� � � � The potholes were particularly dangerous for motorcyclists as the potholes and craters have turned the road into a permanent nuisance and frequent traffic congestion is a mental torture for routine travelers. The absence of road lights at both sides of the highway added the miseries of commuters.

� � � commuters trouble start immediately after crossing the Korang bridge as he has to wait for at least one hour for crossing the narrow bridge due to long queues of heavy vehicles. Misery did not end even after crossing the Korang bridge as hundreds of commuters including office-goers, students, patients and motorcycles suffer mental torture due to�road-blockages caused by even a minor accident of heavy vehicle.

� � � � � �The over loaded trucks, trailers, moving at snails pace has caused cracks, fissure and deep ruts on both sides of the highway particularly from Korang Nullah bridge to T chowk. The cracks have turned into pits and potholes and no rehabilitation measures in sight, majority of which have turned into ditches and tranches on the highway.

� � � Intercity public transport, trucks and long vehicles, plying between Lahore and Peshawar, also had to spend almost half-a-day in the clogged traffic as it was the only route available for them.

� � � The route claimed to be a signal free facility by 2017, seems to remain a quagmire for daily commuters even in 2020 as the project is still limited to the files and currently, no practical work is in sight at the remaining part of the project from Gulberg to Rawat.

� � � The criminal negligence of Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has added fuel to fire as both were keep announcing the rehabilitation of the most patholes-riddled section of the road despite at least three announcement of starting construction from own resources.

� � � � The government of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had approved Rs 10.70 billion for the construction of signal free road from Gulberg to Rawat. But his tenure was ended before the approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Consequently,the project is still awaiting approval.

� �The current government had allocated only Rs 450 million for the project in the current financial year. A suggestion was to project should be executed with public private partnership.When contacted a CDA official said the construction work on PWD underpass and Korang bridge would be initiated during current financial year. The tender documents of expansion of Korang bridge costs Rs 854 million and Underpass at PWD Rs350 million.

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