CDA to start work on underpasses, Zero Point interchange

The Capita1 Development Authority (CDA) will soon start work on two underpasses and an interchange at Zero Point in Islamabad, CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari has said.
"Final approval for the two underpasses at Kulsoom Plaza and junction of Faisal and Jinnah Avenues will be given by the forthcoming CDA Board meeting next week," Lashari told journalists at a reception at Daman-e-Koh on Friday evening.
The Kulsoom Plaza underpass will be connected with the 7th Avenue, which starts from Khayaban-e-Suharwardy and ends at Khayaban-e-Iqbal and the project will cost rupees 500 million.
The design of Zero Point Interchange has already been completed and after necessary procedures the work on the project will start. The project will cost rupees one billion.
The main feature of the Zero Point Interchange is that there will be no traffic signal at the fly over and all traffic coming from the motorway will have separate routes.
Islamabad highway and Jinnah Avenue will pass through the interchange without any interruption. Karachi based firm Loya Associates has prepared the design of the Interchange.
Lashari said work on a project to lay water pipeline from Islamabad to Ghazi Barotha Dam was being undertaken and after developing this water route the problem of water shortage would be overcome. He said the launching of new residential sectors aimed at ending the shortage of housing units in the federal capital.
The I-15 sector has been launched while Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has recently inaugurated the development work in D-12 sector.
The CDA Chairman said the Authority was also planning a joint venture with private firms in an area of 78 acres in E-11 sector. Local and international firms have been asked to submit proposals for mega residential towers at the designated sites in E-11.
He said a proposal to build small dams in the federal capital suburbs had been dropped as it was not feasible and CDA has decided to go for other options to meet the daily requirement of 70 million gallons of water in Islamabad.
Currently, there are four major water sources in Islamabad that include Simli Dam, Khanpur Dam, tubewells and augmentation schemes. The federal capital has a consumption rate of 120 gallons of water per unit daily, which is the highest in the country.