LAHORE: The construction of 25.5 km long elevated viaduct for the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) has been completed as the launching of all the 1,474 precast U-tub girders has been accomplished by the civil contractors.
Advisor to Punjab chief minister and Chairman of the steering committee for the OLMT project Khawaja Ahmad Hassan revealed this after the weekly progress review meeting, held here on Wednesday.
For launching the operations of the train, the Chinese contractor CR-NORINCO had also been directed for further expediting the work for laying metallic track on the viaduct and employing more workforce for the purpose, he added.
For operating the train with electricity, the work for setting up an electric sub-station near the University of Engineering and Technology had also been completed, he said.
“Work on the Package-II, from Chouburji to Ali Town, had to suffer initially due to various problems and the contractor had to be changed. But it is continuing satisfactorily now,” he said and added the difficult task of launching U-tub girders on Thokar Niaz Baig flyover had also been accomplished for construction of the viaduct at the place.
“This was a great achievement of our engineers and contractors,” he said.
He said that construction work on 13 stations along this stretch had also been completed to a great extent, where average 80 per cent work had been accomplished on each station.
NESPAK General Manager Salman Hafeez told the meeting that so far 86.13 per cent civil works on the project had been completed.
“Progress of work on Package-I from Dera Gujjaran, GT Road to Chouburji was 90.32 per cent, on Package-II from Choburji to Ali Town was 80.14 per cent, on Depot near Dera Gujjran was 86.89 per cent, while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town it was 87.83 per cent,” he added.
The meeting was told that work for the construction of upper slab of underground GPO station had been completed for the opening of the crossroad for traffic by March 31.
The station was eight metre below the ground level and spreads over an area of 22 kanals. The meeting was further informed that the Anarkali station at Jain Mandar Chowk was being constructed with Mughal architecture and was being rapidly completed.
Khawaja Ahmad Hassan directed NESPAK and the PHA for chalking out a comprehensive plan for the beautification of the track and better management of traffic in the busy commercial areas surrounding these two stations.
TEPA Chief Engineer Mazhar Hussain Khan, senior officials of LESCO, WASA, PTCL, SUI GAS, Traffic Police, Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Chinese Contractor, CR- NOROINCO, representatives of Chinese Engineering Consultant and local contractors of the project also attended the meeting.
