12km elevated track of Orange Train complete

LAHORE: With the launching of U-tub girders at Laxmi Chowk on Sunday, construction of 12km long elevated track for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train, from Dera Gujran to Mecleod Road had been completed.

This was stated by Adviser to the chief minister and chairman of the steering committee for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (LOMTP) Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan at Laxmi Chowk. He said completion of this track was a big landmark for the mega project, which had suffered prolonged delays because of litigation, barring construction work close of heritage sites.

Khawaja Hassaan personally supervised the launching of U-tub girders, locally manufactured structures each weighing 216 tons, having 30 meters length and 5.5 meters width. A total of 670 U-tub girders had been launched on a height of 40 meters for construction of viaduct for the rolling stock, officials said.

Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan thanked Almighty Allah that a gigantic task had been completed. He told that laying of metallic track for the train and execution of electrical as well as mechanical works on the remaining seven stations along this stretch would start without delay by the Chinese contractor and the viaduct will be made available for movement of the train during the current month. Work on the first four metro stations at Dera Gujran, Islam Park, Salamatpura and Mehmood Booti was near completion and testing of the track by operating the train was already underway at these places, he informed.

He told that construction of track near other heritage sites, including Shalimar Gardens, Gulabi Bagh, Budhhu’s tomb along GT Road and Zaib-un-Nisa’s tomb along Multan Road had also been accomplished after permission to this effect had been granted by the court. He told that efforts had been geared up for finishing the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project at the earliest for providing a swift, safe and honourable mode of urban transport to the people.