Monday, May 19, 2008, Jamadi-ul-Awwal 12, 1429    

Faizabad Interchange to be extended

Islamabad—The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has planned the extension of Faizabad Interchange to directly link Murree Road (Islamabad) with IJ Principal Road, a loop that was dropped while constructing the first ever interchange in the federal capital.

A senior CDA official said the Planning Commission had dropped the construction of the said loop owing to the shortage of funds, but now it was direly needed because the traffic heading towards the IJP Road has either to pass through Islamabad Highway or to take the U-turn from Shamsabad.

Faizabad Interchange is the main gateway between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi made during late 1998 to better solve the traffic problem on Murree Road & Islamabad Highway. The project was executed by NESPAK against the cost of more or less Rs 310 million that was termed as the first modern cloverleaf interchange in Pakistan.

The official said the planning of the project has been completed and has been sent to the Directorate of Structures that would design it within three month-time. He hoped that soon after the finalization of the project, the contractor would be hired and the construction work would be started during the current year.

“The work on the project would be initiated during the current year and it would take at least one year for completion,” the official hoped.

He said the flow of traffic plying between the twin cities would not be affected as the new loop would be constructed at pillars that would link Murree Road with IJP Road leading to Pirwadhai, a thickly populated area inhabiting the most number of bus stations and auto workshop.

The first ever traffic signal in the Capital was also installed at the same intersection in 1960s and the traffic had to wait for long at the crossing. In 1999, IJP Road was constructed to link the City with Pir Wadhai through this interchange making it the only few of cloverleaf interchanges in world where three roads join.—APP