ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: The national monument being built at Shakarparian would delay the Zero Point Interchange project by nearly nine months and increase its cost by Rs100 million, Dawn learnt on Thursday.

Sources in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) responsible for executing both the projects said the national monument has forced alteration in the traffic facilitation project, already delayed by one year by an earlier such exercise.

The authority had hired a consultant firm, AAA, last year to redesign the interchange, but the new design was disapproved by the Planning Division.

Talking to Dawn, CDA Member Planning Brig Nusratullah said a new consultant firm, Engineering Consultant International Limited (ECIL), had been hired to prepare a fresh design of the interchange.

He said the firm was hired out of three consultant companies after it submitted the lowest bid of Rs2.8 million. The two other firms short-listed were MMP and Mine Art.

“We have given a target of three months to the firm to prepare the design of the flyover and we hope that the construction work will be started by March 2007,” the official said.

The National Engineering Services of Pakistan had also offered its services to the CDA in this regard, but it had demanded Rs60 million for the consultancy, he said.

The CDA member agreed that the delay in execution of the project would increase its cost.

Following the preparation of the new design, builders would be invited to submit bids for the construction contract.

The construction of the flyover has become imperative in view of the increasing traffic load in the capital city, especially at Zero Point. The situation is causing great inconvenience to the commuters, especially during rush hours.

The sources said according to a plan made two years ago, the CDA had to carve the hillock located beside Zero Point bridge for the interchange. However, this is no longer possible due to the construction of a national monument on top of the hillock by the culture ministry. The project of national monument has been commissioned on the directives of President Gen Pervez Musharraf, and it will cost Rs660 million.

Another CDA official said two years ago, the authority wanted to execute the project through government funds under the Public Sector Development Plan, but due to reservation of some provinces, the government refused to fund it.