Design of Rawal Chowk expansion changed to bring down cost.

Byline: Kashif Abbasi

ISLAMABAD -- The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has changed the design of Rawal Dam Chowk which is being expanded to ease traffic on Murree Road.

The civic agency, which earlier had planned to construct two slip roads and an overpass at the roundabout, will now construct an underpass there.

CDA officials said the step was taken to reduce the cost of the project. 'If we go with the old design, the project will cost Rs1 billion. Though a final estimate is yet to be made, I guess now we will have to spend around Rs300 million on the project,' said an engineer of the CDA.

CDA says instead of an overpass and two slip roads as planned earlier, an underpass will now be constructed to ease traffic

In February this year, the CDA decided to construct an overpass with two slip roads to connect Park Road with Murree Road.

The CDA officials said once constructed the proposed underpass would ensure smooth traffic flow on either side of the road from Serena Chowk/Murree Road to Park Road.

Traffic congestion has become a routine at Rawal Chowk because of the mushroom growth of housing projects on either side of Park Road and at Alipur Farash, Chatta Bakhtawar and Tarlai.

When contacted, a member of the CDA board said on the direction of the CDA chairman the design of the project had been changed.

Now the estimated cost of the project will be...