Later this month, there will likely be the start of major infrastructure projects that will alleviate traffic at two important intersections in the city.
The Serena Chowk on Khayaban-i-Suharwardi and the PTCL Chowk on 9th Avenue were put out to financial bids by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Tuesday. The winning bidders were Maakson Engineering Corporation and Habib Construction Services.
There were bids totalling Rs. 4.2 billion for the Serena Interchange and Rs. 4.1 billion for the PTCL Chowk project. With the Serena project’s notice inviting tender (NIT) initially set at Rs. 4.086 billion, both businesses’ bids exceeded the bidding expenses. While Maakson’s proposal for PTCL Chowk exceeded the NIT by 9.9 percent, Habib Construction’s offer was just 3.9% higher than this amount.
CDA officials stressed the importance of these projects, which are intended to relieve the extreme traffic congestion that both intersections experience, especially during rush hour. This is the first real action the current management has done to address the problem, in spite of earlier declarations. After the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference in Islamabad on October 15 and 16, work is expected to start and be finished in six months.
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The Serena Interchange project was postponed last year by the former prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who declined to attend the project’s inauguration. Major architectural changes and new regulations were cited by CDA officials as the reason for the higher costs in order to justify the updated financial estimates. The agency has allocated funds for these two initiatives, so there are no financial obstacles standing in their way.
Islamabad has been seeing a range of infrastructure improvements recently. Here are a few notable projects:
- Expansion of Islamabad Expressway:
This project aims to ease traffic congestion by expanding the expressway from Zero Point to Rawat.
- Development of New Sectors:
The CDA is working on developing new residential sectors to accommodate the growing population.
- Upgradation of Parks and Recreational Areas:
Several parks and recreational areas are being upgraded to provide better facilities for residents.
- Public Transport Enhancements:
There are ongoing efforts to improve the public transport system, including the introduction of new bus routes and the expansion of the metro bus service.
This project is typically carried out in phases. The initial phases might take around 1-2 years, while the entire project could span several years.
These projects are part of a broader effort to enhance the city’s infrastructure and improve the quality of life for its residents.