ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 Two loops of the under-construction Zero Point Interchange (ZPI), which should have been completed a couple of months ago, will be opened to traffic by the end of this month, Dawn learnt on Sunday.
“The delay was caused due to the squeezed supply of asphalt to the contractors from the concerned agency for road carpeting,” a senior official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said on the conditioning of anonymity.
However, some believed that financial crunch confronting the authority was one of the reasons behind the delay in partly opening the interchange.The official said now the contractor had been assured that he would receive the required quantity of asphalt and some other chemical (like RC250) for carpeting of the two loops.
Under the plan, the loops for traffic coming from Faizabad and moving towards Peshawar Mor, and that from Peshawar Mor to Faisal Mosque will be opened before November.
“We are close to opening the two slip roads simultaneously within a week or two as the work is in final stages,” spokesman for the CDA Syed Mustafain Kazmi said. “Roads have been carpeted and are being given final touches.”
Mr Kazmi said the two slip roads were scheduled to be opened to traffic a couple of months ago but the opening was delayed, officially, due to the restrictions on movement of heavy vehicle for security reasons as well as delayed relocation of power cables.
The opening of slip roads would pave way for the construction work on the main bridge at the Zero Point. The contractor has already initiated the work on the second phase comprising main flyovers and underpasses linking Islamabad Highway and Kashmir Highway.
The spokesman rejected the impression that financial constraints delayed the project, saying “The CDA had initially paid Rs40 million out of total Rs90 million demanded by the concerned department for relocation of the power lines.”
Mr Kazmi said traffic would continue plying on the existing roads till opening of two slip roads and launch of work to demolish the old overhead bridge.
According to him, once carpeting was completed, the contractor would install signboards guiding the motorists to the diversions.
“Though the alternative routes can accommodate the average traffic load, the motorists, for their own convenience, are advised to adopt other routes like service roads of Sector I-8 or the road passing through Shakarparian to avoid any congestion,” Mr Kazmi said. Restrictions on entry of dumpers carrying asphalt and other heavy machinery is still leaving a negative impact on the pace of work. Entry of dumper trucks and other lorries into the capital city as banned in the aftermath of Marriott blast in September 2008.
As far as the protection of Islamabad's natural beauty is concerned, the contractor is taking all possible measures, said another official closely linked to the project.
“We have squeezed a shoulder along the Faisal Avenue in front of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) to protect about 200 pine trees,” he said. The official said it was “a cumbersome task.”
The CDA, he said, had transplanted about 800 trees at different locations, including the Kashmir Highway, Faizabad Interchange, Sector I-8 and Parade Ground. Within a couple of weeks, another 100 trees near the National Monument are to be relocated to another site, he added.