Naqvi reviews Kashmir Chowk underpass as work reaches 78 percent
The interior minister directed officials to finish remaining work within the 30-day schedule and plant 6,000 trees around the project.
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the Kashmir Chowk Underpass on Thursday, where officials said 78 percent of the construction work had been completed in 20 days, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
Naqvi directed the authorities concerned to finish the remaining work as soon as possible and to complete the project within its scheduled 30-day timeframe, APP reported. Officials briefed him that the underpass would be delivered on that schedule.
ProPakistani reported that horticulture, road construction and asphalt work were progressing quickly, and that workers were installing light poles and fixtures. The minister directed officials to improve the surroundings of the underpass with landscaping and decorative lighting, and said 6,000 trees would be planted around the project, according to the outlet.
Naqvi said the underpass would provide significant relief to people travelling towards Murree and Muzaffarabad, ProPakistani reported, and would make commuting between Rawalpindi and Islamabad easier. He also said steps were being taken to address traffic congestion on the Islamabad Expressway.
The Kashmir Chowk underpass is one of several road projects taken up in the capital in recent months, with the interior ministry overseeing execution and the minister visiting sites to review progress. Neither report gave the cost of the project, the name of the contractor, or a firm completion date. APP's report did not carry the details on tree plantation and landscaping that ProPakistani published.
Traffic pressure on the routes connecting Islamabad with Rawalpindi and the highway north towards Murree has been a recurring complaint for commuters, and the government has positioned the underpass as part of its response. Details of the expected traffic arrangement once the underpass opens, and of any diversions still in place during the remaining work, were not included in either report.
The minister's visit comes as the project enters what officials described as its final stages. APP reported that Naqvi was briefed on the progress on site; ProPakistani said he reviewed the pace of construction and issued directions to the relevant authorities.
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