LAHORE: More that 56pc civil work of Orange Line Metro Train project has so far been completed and there is over 70pc progress on package one (PC-I) -- from Dera Gujjran at GT Road to Chauburji.

This was stated during the weekly progress review meeting of the steering committee of the project, presided over by Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal on Wednesday.

National Engineering Services Pakistan General Manager Salman Hafeez told the meeting that 207 U-tub girders had so far been precast out of which 158 had been used for construction of the 40-foot elevated track of the train as part of package one. Work for construction of 1.7km long cut-and-cover portion of the track was also under way in areas that were outside the scope of the court’s restraining order. Construction work on underground Anarkali station was in full swing besides boring for a tunnel for the train, he added.

The meeting was apprised that a new 13km long storm water drain, starting from Haji Camp at Nicholson Road and leading to the Ravi via Lakshmi Chowk, Chauburji and other areas, will be constructed at Rs2.4 billion. For preparing design of the drain, a joint visit of the utility services agencies and other departments concerned will be carried out on Saturday. The design will be prepared after consultation of these departments.

The meeting was also informed that work on all the 11 elevated stations of the train to be constructed along package one was being executed with full momentum. Work for construction of piles, pile caps and pears for the stations had been completed.

Gray structure of four of the stations will be handed over to CR-Norinco in December for carrying out electrical and mechanical works, while the remaining seven stations will be entrusted to the Chinese contractor in January 2017.

Published in Dawn December 1st, 2016