Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to complete construction of Zero Point Interchange (ZPI) even after the expiry of a third deadline, mounting the construction cost to rupees 3.5 billion from Rs 3.1 billion. Work on National Monument-side loop, down towards Islamabad Highway from Kashmir Highway, loop from Peshawar Morr towards Convention Centre on Kashmir Highway, and on cushion roads on both sides of Kashmir Highway is in progress, but with snail pace.
The situation depicts that the company needs six more months for completion of the project, sources in the CDA revealed to this scribe, here on Saturday. They said they wonder why the construction company is not being fined for such unprecedented delay in completion of the project, as this is causing problems for motorists as well as the civic body.
The CDA had fixed December 31, 2010 as the third deadline for opening ZPI for vehicular traffic, but the construction company could not complete work on two important roads; one side of Faisal Avenue and a side of Kashmir Highway. Earlier, CDA had planned to open the project on August 14 and the authority had sought date from Prime Minister Gilani for organising its opening ceremony, but it missed the deadline and also missed the second deadline on December 31.
CDA Spokesman, Ramzan Sajid revealed to this scribe that the authority had planned to open the interchange for general public by March 31. He admitted that the delay in the project and additional work has increased cost of the project by Rs 500 million. He blamed additional work on National Monument-side loop towards Islamabad Highway from Kashmir Highway besides unprecedented weather and security situation for the delay.
He said that more than three-month of delay was caused due to the weather and security situation, as these caused hindrances in transportation of material for the project. He said that work on the project is in final stage while construction of cushion roads on both sides of Kashmir Highway and Faisal Avenue is also underway.
Sajid said that work on the two loops started late, which is the main reason that these are still under construction, adding that 98 percent construction work has been completed. Almost all link roads between Faisal Avenue and Khayaban-e-Suharawardy, Faisal Avenue and Kashmir Highway, Kashmir Highway and Faisal Avenue, Islamabad Highway and Kashmir Highway, second lane of Khayaban-e-Suharawardy and Kashmir Highway have already been opened for traffic, he added.
Zero Point Interchange is the cluster of flyovers and roads being built adjacent to Zero Point on one side and Islamabad Highway on the other. It is being built by Maqbool Associates at a cost of Rs 2.34 billion, but the cost surged to rupees three billion in 2010 and now it is expected that it will touch Rs 3.5 billion till completion of the project. The interchange is to be constructed in two phases; phase I includes three major loops of the interchange, while in phase II, two more loops, which will connect Khayaban-e-Suhrawardy and Shakarparian, would be constructed.