ISLAMABAD: The girders launching of Bhara Kahu bypass is in progress and almost 50pc work has been completed.

The ongoing progress shows that the project could be completed in two months provided it continues at the same pace.

CDA engineering wing officials said out of the total 156 girders, 75 had been laid and on a daily basis around six were being launched. Meanwhile, slabs work was also started and four slabs were laid on the girders on Friday.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) ChairmanNoorul Amin Mengal told Dawn: “We are making efforts to complete the project by July 15. All safety and protocol standards are being adopted.”

Mr Mengal said the road portion, which starts from Malpur and culminates at Jhogi stop where it links with the flyover, was already completed. “My target is to open this entire project on Eid days,” he said.

The project worth Rs6.5 billion is being executed by the National Logistics Cell (NLC) and in February this year it had faced two back-to-back incidents - transom collapsing which left two labourers dead followed by overturning of the fifth girder. Since then, the project is being carried out very carefully to avoid any incident.

Earlier, the work was being carried out on an urgent basis.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated work on the bypass project on September 30, 2022, and directed the CDA to complete it within three months. That’s mean this project should have been competed by December 30.

However, it could not be completed yet and it seems the project will be ready by the end of July.

CDA officials said after girders’ launching at least one month will be required for using machinery to start the asphalt work.

“Though efforts are being made to complete the project as soon as possible, frankly speaking, if it is completed by July 30 that will be an achievement,” said an engineer.

He said the four-month completion deadline mentioned in PC-1 was irrational and while inaugurating the work the prime minster reduced one month as well.

Then, the CDA and NLC did round-the-clock work and, apparently, the over-efficiency for completing the project also contributed to the two incidents.

However, when the project faced controversy over the back-to-back incidents, the NLC slowed down the pace. Now CDA officials are saying that the work is being carried with an “extra care”.

Meanwhile, a commission formed by the prime minster has been probing the two incidents.

A retired engineer said the project should be executed without any time constraint, adding work done in haste faces quality issues within few years of their completion.

“This is a big project and instead of getting it completed as soon as possible, more focus should be paid on quality,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2023