The Peshawar Mor Interchange, the flagship project of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, has been beset by problems for so long it has become a perfect metaphor for the way the current government operates – biting more than it can chew and when that inevitably fails trying to throw money at the problem. The date of inauguration of the Rs 6.75 billion project, after repeatedly witnessing delays was set for March 23 this year. However, the interchange is yet to be launched officially, though it has been opened tentatively for the general commuters.
One can see cars, bikes and trucks plying the many roads and segments of what is touted as the biggest interchange of South Asia. Work on the interchange started at the same time the construction was started on Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus service. The Metro Bus Service started operations almost a year ago on June 4. However, work on Peshawar Mor Interchange, which was originally part of the Metro Bus project, is still underway.
“I was coming from G-11 and took a turn towards Secretariat on the Peshawar Mor Interchange when all of a sudden I saw heaps of debris on the side of the road,” said Talha Ahmed, a student of MBA and a regular commuter.
“I immediately applied my brakes and barely avoided running into the pile of debris. Thank God there was no other car behind me. There is construction material left on the road. There are no warning signs in place even after the completion and opening of the interchange for the general public. Such negligence can endanger lives of many commuters,” Talha said.
The work on the Peshawar Mor Interchange is almost complete and all the roads and overhead bridges have been opened for the general commuters. But, one can still see heavy machinery, rollers as well as labourers busy in various tasks which range from carpeting the newly-made roads, painting the lines and lanes, and completing other tasks.
Pakistan Today contacted Wasim Tariq, the executive engineer of the Peshawar Mor Interchange project, and learnt that the work on removing the defects from the roads and bridges is still underway. In addition to the cosmetic work, he said, drainage lines are also close to completion.
“We have opened the interchange for general public tentatively; there is some work that is ongoing but it is of minor nature,” he said, but added that he did not know when the interchange will be officially inaugurated.
In the wake of Panama Leaks and the political crisis in the federal capital, the development works so prized by the current government, appear have taken a back-burner. The expansion work on Islamabad Highway – a Rs 21 billion project – is also progressing at a snail’s pace with only one out of four packages completed and already a cost overrun of Rs 4 billion.
