LDA to re-launch signal-free project

LAHORE
Following the suspension of Lahore High Court’s decision against Jail Road Signal-Free Corridor Project by the Supreme Court, LDA has started preparations to re-launch the abandoned construction work.
A three-member bench of the SC Thursday suspended the LHC’s decision of stopping LDA from carrying out any development project including the Jail Road Signal Free Corridor Project. After the LHC’s orders, LDA and its contractors had stopped construction work at Jail Road. On Thursday evening, a meeting of LDA officials involved in the project was called.
LDA awarded contract of Jail Road project including construction of seven-km long Signal Free Corridor from Qurtaba Chowk, Jail Road to Liberty Roundabout, Main Boulevard, Gulberg at a cost of Rs1.3 billion.
The target of completing construction work of Signal Free Corridor at Jail Road and Main Boulevard, Gulberg, was four months. The task of execution of this project was assigned to a construction company. The signal free corridor will start from Qartaba Chowk and end at Liberty roundabout, said a senior LDA official.
Two underpasses and seven signal free U-turns will be constructed under this project, he said, adding the first underpass will be constructed at Shadman Chowk for traffic coming from China Chowk and going to Shadman Market. There will be uninterrupted traffic flow coming from The Mall to Shadman and vice versa as a result of construction of this underpass. It will enable uninterrupted signal free traffic flow along Jail road, he said.
The second underpass will be constructed near Sherpao Bridge for traffic plying going towards Canal Bridge. Due to construction of underpass at Fowara Chowk crossing, there will be uninterrupted flow of traffic on Jail Road and Main Boulevard Gulberg and vice versa.
Seven signal free U-turns will be constructed at Eden Centre Chowk, Shadman Chowk, PIC Chowk, Canal Road, Zafar Ali Road, Fawara Chowk, Main Market Chowk and Zahoor Elahi Chowk crossings. LDA officials said signal free corridor will be located in the hub of the city accommodating best educational, health facilitation centres and business hub areas.
LDA officials said the main objective of construction of this signal free corridor is to facilitate the commuters so that they will get rid of long queues and traffic jams at junctions/crossings. They added after completion of this signal free corridor, there will be no traffic congestions in front of educational institutions like Lahore College for Women University, Kinnaird College and APWA College. Re-modelling of Liberty Roundabout will also help to avoid merging conflicts.
Due to signal free corridor, there will be timesaving and easy access for patients and ambulances to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Services Hospital. Also there will be significant time and fuel saving of general public due to signal free corridor. Construction of four pedestrian bridges will also be constructed at a cost of Rs 60 million along this route, LDA officials concluded.