ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has opened financial bids to award the contract of Malal Bridge on Lehtrar Road.

The civic agency said the estimated cost of the project was Rs100.8 million and it received the lowest bid of Rs70 million (22pc below).

CDA spokesperson Mazhar Hussain said construction of a 700-metre-long dual road near Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology was also a part of the project.

“After completing legal procedures, we will soon award the contract to start construction of the bridge,” he said.

Says once works starts, project will be completed in 12 months

Eight firms participated in the bidding and Rawail Builder offered the lowest bid, he added.

The CDA said it will be the second road project started by the incumbent management on Lehtrar Road as construction of Burma Bridge was at final stages.

A statement said Lehtrar Road was dualised in 2007-08 but Burma and Malal bridges were not constructed at that time, resulting in traffic congestion.

According to the CDA, people of the area had been demandingconstruction of both the bridges.

“The CDA administration started construction work on Burma Bridge earlier this year and has now initiated the process for the construction of Malal Bridge,” the statement said and added that Malal Bridge will be completed in 12 months.

Lehtrar Road starts from Khanna Bridge and heads towards to Nilor and Lehtrar.

During the last one decade, because of construction of new houses in adjoining areas, the road has become one of the busiest. CDA officials said the local MNA belonging to the PTI had been pushing the civic agency for the start of Malal Bridge project.

Sohawa-Chakwal carriageway

The National Logistics Cell (NLC) has said it is giving final touches to Sohawa-Chakwal dual carriageway.

The 63 km road will significantly reduce travel time between the two towns and also give a huge fillip to socioeconomic activities in the region.

The project has been completed despite impediments such as slow process of land acquisition and shifting of utilities by concerned departments which caused intermittent delays in execution of the construction work.

The travel time between Sohawa and Chakwal, which used to take two and half hours, will be cut by half.

This will not only result in reduction of transit time for transport carrying locally produced goods and raw material but will also ensure fuel efficiency.

A significant increase in economic activities has already been started as new shops, restaurants, petrol pumps and outlets of other social amenities are being established by locals astride the road.

The road is expected to be inaugurated in a few weeks.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2020