RAWALPINDI, July 9: The federal government has released a seed money of Rs70 million for the widening of Airport Road and construction of an underpass at Committee Chowk, officials said on Wednesday. The two projects are estimated to cost Rs452 million.

The officials said District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiyani had sought the help of President Pervez Musharraf for these two projects during a meeting last month. The Nazim had told the president that the widening of Airport Road was necessary to improve the utilisation of Rawal Road for access to the airport. He had also told him that an underpass at Committee Chowk was needed to ease the flow of traffic on Murree Road.

Though the seed money has been released, both the projects are awaiting government approval at different stages, the officials said.

The Airport Road widening project is lying pending with the Central Development Working Party, while the Committee Chowk underpass is being handled by the Planning and Development Department.

The officials said the process of approval of these two projects will have to be expedited after which land will be acquired for the purpose.

Giving brief details of the Airport Road widening project, they said, a single lane would be added to each side of the road from airport to Kutcheri Chowk.

The road is planned to be brought up to the standard of the road linking airport with Islamabad Highway. The road linking Airport Road to Army House would also be widened and the Kutcheri Chowk would be remodelled under this project. A railway bridge falling on the Airport Road has also to be rebuilt.