Islamabad: Work on Zero Point Interchange from August 14

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced that work on much-delayed Zero Point Interchange project would start on August 14.

A CDA senior official said Tuesday that the committee has awarded the contract to a Karachi-based construction firm M/s Maqbool Associate and it has been given go-ahead.

He said the Authority is working to finalise terms and conditions of the agreement with the firm that would take about a couple of weeks.

Earlier, the CDA chairman had announced at a news briefing that work on the project would be started on 15 July that has already passed.

He said the firm has been awarded contract on the basis of projects executed in the past including flyovers and interchanges in Karachi at FTC, Shahrah-e-Qaideen, Karsaz, Naurang Chorangi, National Stadium and is currently executing a Rs1.5 billion project in Hyderabad.

The official said the project would be executed under two contracts, in the first contract, three major loops of the interchange would be constructed, while in the second, two more loops would be constructed on Suhrwardy Road and Shakarparian. “The project would be completed within two-years time,” he said.

He said the project would cost Rs2.33 billion as the contractor has rebated five per cent from both scheduled as well as non-scheduled cost.

He said the authority has finalised alternate traffic routes to be used during execution of the project.

Under the plan, the contractor would construct slip roads and loops in the initial stages to ensure smooth traffic flow, adding that work would be completed within six-month time that would follow the construction of underpasses and flyovers, said the official.

The contractor, he said, would take measures to protect environment of the surroundings during construction work, he said. “All diversions would be properly carpeted,” he added.

To avoid any unnecessary delay and encourage the contractor, the official said, the civic body has also announced a bonus for the contractor. According to Pakistan Engineering Council rules, a contractor is given up to 0.05 per cent of total cost of the project as bonus if it completes the project before the set deadline.

The project would consist of twelve underpasses and flyovers.

All roads would be four-lane, except Islamabad Highway, which is being widened into a five-lane road. He said consultation on the loop and slip road falling near Pakistan Monument is in progress, adding that the proposal on construction of tunnel on the point has been declined.

Zero Point interchange project was proposed in 90s but work could not take off in the last decade due to one or the other reason.
Source: The News, 30/7/2008