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Punjab CM okays elevated expressway project

* Rs 13 billion project will be completed in two years

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday gave a go ahead for the project of elevated expressway from Secretariat-II to Chandni Chowk, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed (BBS) Road. The project will be completed in two years at a cost of Rs13 billion. The CM directed the authorities concerned to complete the formalities in minimum time and start construction work early as possible. The CM was addressing a meeting at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed International Airport on Wednesday. Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Ch. Nisar Ali Khan, MNA Khwaja Muhammad Asif, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed, RPO, Additional IG Muhammad Aslam Tareen, DCO Imdadullah Bosal, CPO Rao Muhammad Iqbal, NESPAK Vice President Qazi Iftikhar and other concerned officers were present. Sharif said elevated expressway should be completed expeditiously for the provision of better transport facilities to the citizens of Rawalpindi and to solve traffic problems on this important road. He said all details regarding contract and construction of the project should be completed without any delay. Third party evaluation: He said third party evaluation and other measures should also be adopted for ensuring a high standard of the project. He said due to the high cost of the project of elevated expressway, the purpose of considering various options was to ensure proper utilization of public money so that funds could be saved and utilised on other schemes of public welfare. He said the amended project of expressway would considerably solve traffic problems of Rawalpindi and better communication facilities would become available to the masses. Saeed and Iftikhar told Daily Times that due to heavy cost of the project of elevated expressway on BBS Road the CM had issued instructions last month to rationalise the expenditure and after reports of various committees, the project had been prepared. They said earlier the project envisaged construction of expressway from Mall Road to Double Road at an estimated cost of Rs 30 billion. They said a detailed study was conducted to reduce the cost of the project. Moreover, two under passes would be constructed at Sixth Road Chowk and Double Road Chowk to make BBS Road signal free up to Faizabad, they added. They said the elevated expressway would be 4.5km long and would have two lanes on each side.

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