ISLAMABAD: The expansion of Korang Bridge Project on Islamabad Expressway has been delayed due to various reasons and now the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is hoping that the project will be completed in April (next year) instead of December.

Last year, the CDA awarded the project against Rs658 million and according to the PC-I, it is supposed to be completed by end of December. However, sources said that now the project would be completed somewhere in April.

They said the wing concerned of the authority had sought four months extension in completion of the project.

CDA officials said both P.W.D. Underpass and Korang Bridge project were awarded simultaneously and the same company won both contracts.

They said CDA’s first priority was to complete P.W.D. underpass, which was completed recently and now the second project would be finalised, adding that shifting of utility services also took extra time.

The expressway is one of the busiest roads of the city which caters to both local and heavy traffic particularly travelling to and from Lahore. The road is an important link between Punjab, Azad Kashmir, the northern areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the last two decades, a large number of housing societies were developed on both sides of the expressway and this resulted in an increase in traffic load. Every day, thousands of people use this road to drop their children to schools in the main city or go to their workplaces.

CDA officials said after expansion of the Korang Bridge, traffic congestion on the expressway would be resolved to some extent.

“We have already constructed several interchanges at Dhoke Kala Khan, Khanna Pul area and Koral; recently we completed work on P.W.D. project so after completion of Korang Bridge, the traffic congestion issue on expressway will be resolved to a significant extent,” said an engineer of CDA.

Meanwhile, he added, CDA will also repair and expand the existing service road from Faizabad to Koral and after this, traffic load on the expressway will further reduce.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2021