RAWALPINDI, May 30: Marrir Hassan Bridge Tunnel Project may not be completed by end of this year as the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has not even initiated the spadework.

The project was approved by Planning and Development (P&D) in March with an estimated cost of Rs429 million and is to be completed in December as promised by PML-N lawmaker Shakeel Awan.

The feasibility report also estimates that the project would require nine months for completion. But so far the RDA has not hired consultants and invited technical and financial bids and expressions of interest (EoIs).

According to sources, the work on the project would start next year for which Rs77 million had been released by the provincial government.

“Out of the Rs77 million, we have paid Rs50 million to the railways authorities for laying track to divert their traffic over the bridge,” Deputy Director RDA Umar Farooq told Dawn.

He said work on the project would start after July 1 when remaining funds were released.

“Even tender for inviting contractors has not been floated, let alone hiring them. The initial formalities would take six months, while the completion period is nine months,” a source in the RDA said.

PML-N lawmaker Shakeel Awan, who claims to be the proponent of the project, denied that work on it was being delayed.

“We have to pay Wapda, SNGPL and PTCL for shifting their installations from the site and after that work would formally be started. I will direct the executing agency to expedite work and finalise consultants and bidding process as early as possible,” the MNA said.