ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has demanded of the government to pay Rs636 million for reconstruction of Islamabad Highway and Kashmir Highway, sources in the authority told Dawn on Sunday.

The sources said Rs506 million was required for reconstruction of one way of Islamabad Highway from Rawat to Airport Chowk while Rs130 million for reconstruction of Kashmir Highway.

They said the portion of Islamabad Highway from Rawat to Airport Chowk had become a source of inconvenience for the commuters due to its dilapidated condition.

Citizens of Islamabad and other areas have demanded of the CDA to immediately reconstruct that portion of the road for smooth flow of traffic. An official of the CDA's road directorate said the authority had prepared PC-I of both the projects and demanded funds for this purpose.

He said the project would be commissioned in the next financial year and they would take atleast two years for completion. The official said the CDA had already constructed one way of Islamabad Highway from Airport Chowk to Rawat and the other way was yet to be reconstructed. He said the remaining parts of the road could not be reconstructed due to financial constraints.

BRIDGES: The CDA would be unable to meet the deadline of March 31 for construction of three bridges on Islamabad Highway, a source said.

The deadline was given by Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat while inaugurating Soan Bridge three months ago. This was the second deadline given by the minister.

Under the first deadline the bridges had to be completed before December 2003. When contacted, a senior CDA official said two out of three bridges would be completed by March 31 while it would take two more months to complete the third.

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