The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has given another date for the completion of half of the Mareer Chowk expansion project, extending it to July 15.
Earlier, the authority had announced to complete the first half of the project until March 31 and then extended it to June 30. The delay in the construction of steel bridge is said to be the reason behind the latest extension in the date.
The slow pace of construction work and eventual delay in the project is creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic on Benazir Bhutto Road, one of the main arteries of the city. The motorists and commuters have to suffer due to gridlocks especially on peak hours of the day owing to heat.
RDA Director General Naseer Ahmed said that manufacturing of the steel railway bridge was going on in a factory in Rawat and 40 percent work has been completed. He said that launching of the bridge would be started until July 31 and it would be completed in 15 days. After that, work on the other half of the bridge would be started and would be completed until October 15, he added.
The residents said that underpasses and flyovers in the city were completed in relatively less time while the pace of work on the Mareer Chowk project was very slow.
