The Capital Development Authority (CDA) finally started installation of a direly needed pedestrian bridge at Zero Point, bringing a ray of hope for pedestrians who used to risk their lives to cross the 10-lane Islamabad Highway.
“Foundation work for the pedestrian bridge has been completed. It would take almost a month to complete,” a CDA official said on Sunday.
He said that the Heavy Mechanical Complex had been tasked with the installation of the steel-structured bridge that had cost Rs 18 million. The bridge would facilitate safe movement of pedestrians moving to and from sectors G-7 and G-8 and government offices and media houses located nearby.
The CDA had already constructed a pedestrian bridge near I-8 intersection to facilitate movement of pedestrians as it neighboured federal colleges and witnessed heavy movement of students.
The daily crime report of Islamabad Police revealed that almost two to three hit-and-run incidents took place in Islamabad that sometimes also claimed pedestrians’ lives.
The CDA had widened Islamabad Highway to 10 lanes, constructed 7th Avenue and 9th Avenue and was trying to widen the Kashmir Highway to 10 lanes. However, the installation of pedestrian bridges at various locations was yet awaited.
Every day hundreds of people crossed the eight-kilometre 9th Avenue located between sectors F-8, G-8, H-8, I-8 and F-9, G-9, H-9 and I-9. Important locations including Fatima Jinnah Park, weekly bazaar, Allama Iqbal Open University and hundreds of industrial units were located along this road.
“I feel lucky to find a safe gap amid the heavy traffic but the CDA is yet unable to realize the miseries of pedestrians,” said Tauheed Ali, a pedestrian crossing Islamabad Highway.
