ISLAMABAD, May 6: Pakistan Railways is constructing an underpass at a cost of Rs9 million on the railway crossing at I-J Principal Road to avoid the frequent traffic-jams, a CDA official told Dawn on Monday.

The construction of the underpass was a long-standing demand of the people of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but the area limits were the main hurdles in the way of construction of the underpass, the member, engineering, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Abdul Salam Khan Wazir, told this reporter.

The underpass is part of the ongoing dualization and widening of IJ Principal Road project, he said.

He said the CDA had given the amount to the railways for the construction of the underpass.

The official said some 20 per cent work, including digging and levelling of the ground, on the project had been completed.

He said the entire project of IJ Principal road was to be completed at a cost Rs932 million, but the government had slashed the amount by 30 per cent.

“In the first phase, Rs90 million would be utilised for the dualization of 4.5km long patch at Peshawar Road.” “The first phase will be completed within one year,” the official added.