LAHORE : Delay in starting the Elevated Expressway in the City has resulted in cost escalation of over Rs20 billion.
Sources in LDA said the project was conceived many years back and its feasibility and other studies were completed but it was not started due to several reasons. Former Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had approved the project on February 16, 2022 after the cabinet standing committee for finance and development had sanctioned Rs60 billion along with the inclusion of the project in the annual development programme.
At that time, it was said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan would soon lay the foundation stone of this project to be constructed from the main boulevard Gulberg to motorway M2 to ensure easy access to the motorway.
Later, the project was again approved by the former Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi on November 7, 2022 and the then CM ordered launching the Expressway Project at the earliest. At this time the project’s cost escalated as the then CM was informed that the expenditure cost of construction of the elevated expressway on both sides comprising four lanes would be Rs85 billion and it will be the first expressway to be constructed from the east to the west in Lahore. Recently, Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi while chairing the 2nd meeting of the authority again approved the project with an estimated cost of Rs81 billion. The CM was told that the LDA following the government's initiative wanted to provide the residents of the City with improved road infrastructure and was making tireless efforts to streamline the traffic flow across the City.
Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed gave a briefing on the project in which he revealed that the project will be a 9.9-kilometre signal free corridor starting from Main Boulevard Gulberg to Motorway M-2. This project will mitigate the impact of traffic on major arteries of the City by providing an alternate route to the traffic, which will also result in fuel and time saving along with reduction in carbon emissions. The CE revealed that the LDA in consultation with Nespak has proposed the Elevated Expressway comprising various toll entry and exist points along with dedicated metro bus lane and stations. He said the PC-1 of the project has been prepared and land acquisition has already been completed for the project.
The subject scheme has already been approved by SCCFD in its meeting held on 14-02-2022 for inclusion of the scheme in ADP 2021-22, however, the project was not taken up due to non-provision of funds by the then government. Talking to The News, LDA’s CE admitted that delay in start of the project resulted in cost escalation. He said the cost of the project will increase with further delay.
