Construction of PWD underpass, Korang Bridge awaits govt approval.

ISLAMABAD -- The suffering of commuters is continuing on Islamabad Expressway as the government is least interested to expand the road where traffic jams have become a routine.

After receiving a cold response from the federal government in starting the entire project worth Rs10 billion from Koral to Rawat in October this year, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had requested the government to allow it to construct the PWD underpass and Korang Bridge.

However, sources said, the CDA was still waiting for a response from the government.

'The government did not reply even to our request let alone release Rs10 billion for the entire project,' said an engineer at the CDA.

CDA spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali said there was no delay on part of the civic agency.

'Our homework is complete, whenever we get a go-ahead from the federal government we will start construction of the PWD underpass and Korang Bridge,' he said, adding at a later stage when the government releases funds the expansion work of the road will be carried out.

However, Mr Safdar said after construction of the underpass and bridge, the issue of traffic congestion would be resolved to a great extent as these two points were the main bottlenecks.

The engineer said Rs1.3 billion will be spent on the construction of the underpass and bridge and CDA had already reserved funds for these two projects.

Sources in the engineering wing of the CDA said the government wanted to make changes to the original PC-I of Rs10 billion as it planned to release only Rs450 million for the...