LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has initiated work on a project to develop an alternative route to Raiwind Road from Valencia Town to Adda Plot and convert the Defence Road into a two-lane thoroughfare from Bobatian Chowk up to Kahna flyover.

The project would be completed by the end of next month at an estimated cost of Rs3 billion, said a spokesperson here on Thursday.

The Raiwind Road alternative route would be 7.5 kilometeres with two-way thoroughfares each having three lanes. The Defence Road would also be a two-way thoroughfare each having two lanes.

The alternate route to Raiwind Road would not only facilitate motorists to and from motorway but would also be the shortest route towards major health and education facilities in the main city for the residents of Valencia, Wapda Town, Tariq Gardens, DHA Rahbar, Eden Housing, Lake City, Fazaia Housing and other localities of southern Lahore.

Alternate routes to Raiwind Road have been one of the priority projects identified in a comprehensive urban transport study conducted in 1991 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) of LDA.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2016