LAHORE, Jan 14: The Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency has dropped the construction plan of 23 link roads in the southern parts of the city because of funds’ paucity.

The link roads were to the constructed between the Multan Road and Ferozepur Road.

The Tepa officials said that they would construct only four link roads this year.

Besides shortage of funds, the small number of housing schemes and development initiated in the vicinity of 23 link roads were the other reason, they claimed.

According to them, other reasons for delay in the development of the 23 roads were high cost of Wapda connections to the localities, over investment in housing schemes by developers (financial corporations), plots purchased for future construction and indefinite constructing period in private schemes.

The projects to be completed this year include the construction of additional lane along the UBD Canal Road from Thokar Niaz Baig to Defence Road, rehabilitation of Defence Road from Bhubtian Chowk to Kahna level crossing, from Wahdat Road through Mustafa Town and Punjab University to UBD Canal, Ferozepur Road to Maulana Shaukat Ali Road along Sattu Kattla drain.

The projects would be completed by June at a cost of Rs421 million.

The officials claimed that the agency had recently completed three link roads — along the bypass road (UBD Canal Road to College Road), Main Johar Town Road (Maulana Shaukat Ali Road to Raiwind Road via Shaukat Khanum Trust Cancer Hospital), College Road (Township to Defence Road) at the cost of Rs246 million.