ISLAMABAD, June 10: The government has allocated an amount of Rs400 million under the Public Sector Development Programme for the second phase of reconstruction of the I. J. Principal Road, the ground-breaking ceremony of which will be held on Wednesday, sources in the Capital Development Authority said.

Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat would be the chief guest at the ceremony which will be held at 11am.

Under the second phase, about four-kilometre portion of the 10.2km-long road would be constructed.

A sum of Rs430.9 million has already been spent on the first phase of the project against a total outlay of Rs932.6 million.

About 10.2-km portion of the road from Faizabad to the Grand Trunk Road would be completed in five phases.

In the first phase, 4.5km-long dual-carriageway has been constructed from Peshawar Road (GT Road). The CDA has removed three kutchi abadis which were established along the road several years ago. They are being shifted to Alipur Farash, where a grand kutchi abadi is being established.

The sources said that the CDA had resolved all disputes with the government departments regarding retrieval of land as some portion of the land was falling in the alignment of the road and the authority had requested them for its removal.

The interior ministry has directed the authority to formulate a plan to regularize commercial activities along the road after its completion.

The sources said the construction of two bridges was also included in the project and repair work on Nullahs would also be carried out in accordance with the instructions and directives of the Federal Flood Commission to avoid any eventuality in case of flooding, they added.

A longstanding issue of the construction of a railway crossing on the road, which has become a scene of severe traffic hazard, has also been resolved. Now the Pakistan Railways is constructing a railway underpass to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the road.