The Kashmir Expressway, a major development project which also has a Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) share in it, being executed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), is labouring hard on its way up the completion scale.

The work on the project started after much ado in February 2011. So far, the contractors engaged by the CDA — M/s Ayub Brothers and Arif and Co working jointly — have managed to complete only about 12% of work. The scheduled completion of the project is February 2013 at a cost of Rs2.2 billion approximately, which by the way the things are moving, seems a difficult task to accomplish unless some extraordinary efforts are put in.

The construction activity has already started reflecting adversely on the condition of the existing Kashmir Highway because evidently the original plan of first completing one side and then launching the other has been set aside because of intervention by the Planning Commission and patches have been scrapped, roughened up and excavations have been done on both sides of the existing road.

This construction activity, which is moving at a snail’s pace, has already started hampering the flow of traffic, especially beyond the H-11/G-11 traffic signals and the traffic flow on both sides of this around four-kilometre patch or a little more, up to Golra roundabout, has become a test of skills and patience for the drivers.

The CDA decided to start the project in the fiscal year 2009-2010 under which the existing two-lane, one-way Kashmir Highway was to be converted into five-lane, one-way Kashmir Expressway. The objective was mainly to cater to the ever-increasing load of traffic on the road as it is the only link with the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, the M-1 and M-2 of Motorway as well as it is going to be the main link for the under-construction Islamabad International Airport near Fatehjang, which is likely to be completed and opened for air traffic in a couple of years or a little more.

According to the original plan, it was also decided that the 8-1/2 km stretch of Kashmir Expressway would be ‘traffic signal-free’ from the 9th Avenue intersection at Peshawar Morr right up to the Golra Toll Plaza with overhead bridges or underpasses at important junctures.

The work on the Kashmir Expressway project was scheduled to start towards the end of 2009, but it continued to be delayed for one reason or the other and even the issue of award of contract to a particular construction firm, which the CDA was forced to cancel and go into a review.

CDA Member (Engineering) Syed Abrar Shah, when contacted, told this scribe that the delay in release of funds by the government out of its allocated share of Rs300 million for the fiscal year 2010-2011 reflected adversely on the progress of the project.

“So far, we have received only Rs60 million out of the allocated Rs300 million for the project, which certainly is not enough to keep up the pace of work on the project at the required levels. However efforts are being made to keep the work continuing, even if at a slower pace as we hope that with the release of required amount of funds will help speed up work on the project,” he added.

He said that according to the original plan, it was decided to first complete five-lane one side of the project, starting from the 9th Avenue intersection on the Kashmir Highway right up to the Golra Toll Plaza, divert the whole load of traffic by dividing it into two lanes and then start work on the other side.

“However, the Planning Commission directed the CDA to launch the work on both sides simultaneously and that is what we have done. We have taken all precautionary measures to prevent any accident where there are excavations being done on sides of the existing road in two directions,” he said.

He also claimed that the CDA is monitoring the condition of the existing road and wherever needed it is carrying out the necessary patchwork to maintain the condition of the road. However, the situation on ground is quite adverse as signs of heavy wear and tear on the existing Kashmir Highway between G-11/H-11 traffic signal up to the Golra Toll Plaza have appeared, which are causing serious trouble to motorists.