Northern Bypass: NHA Board recommends Rs28.779bn 3rd revised PC-1 to Ecnec

ISLAMABAD: The National Highways Authority (NHA) Executive Board recommended the 3rd revised PC-I of Northern Bypass amounting to Rs28.779billion and the implementation period up to June 30, 2024, for approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Official sources revealed that the Executive Board chaired by Captain (retired) Muhammad Khurram Agha, Chairman NHA recommended the 3rd revised PC-1 to ECNEC subject to several conditions. These conditions included: a). to resolve all land issues with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government. b). rationalization of cost of escalation. c). rationalization of design and supervision charges.

The NHA Executive Board recommended the PC-I for construction of Hub Bypass (4-Lane) (construction of additional carriageway in Balochistan portion with bridge on River Hub and construction of 4-Lane carriageway in Sindh portion) having length 13.350 km at a cost of Rs.11.993 billion for consideration of CDWP/ECNEC.

The Board deliberated on the procurement of works initiated before July 7, 2022.

The NHA Executive Board annulled procurement process of following projects being not in conformity with new procurement process approved by the Board in its 400th meeting held on July 7, 2022: a). Dualization of Khuzdar–Kuchlac Section of National Highway (N-25): Section-III and IV. B). Dualization of Kuchlac-Zhob Section of N-50, Package-I, II, and III. c). Construction of Additional Carriageway Petaro–Sehwan (N-55) Section-I (64 KM): Package-1C (KM 40+000 ~ KM 64+000). d). Construction of 2.25 Km Missing Link Road on Okara side to connect Rai Mansab Ali Khan Kharal Bridge Approach Road with Existing Provincial Highway Network.

The NHA Executive Board approved the following: a. Allocation of funds amounting to Rs. 429.649 million for Restoration of Flood Damages (April 2016) on Alpuri - Besham Section of N-90 (KM 0-000) to KM 33+502) through RMA under Block Allocation (Geometric Improvement Head of AMP 2016 -17 & 2017-18). b. Extension of Time for Civil Works Contracts of LOT -1, LOT-2, LOT-3 & LOT-4 w.e.f January 1, 2016 to March 30, 2018. The Board directed that the issue of Variation Order No. 02 be taken up by the Member concerned as per relevant Rules/NHA Code, as the same does not fall under the purview of NHEB.

The Board approved the following: a. Construction of New Bridge on Hub River at km 22 on N-25 at a cost of Rs1,152 million. b. Allocation of Funds: i. Rs575 million from Global Head of Bridges/Culverts already approved AMP 2021-22. ii. Rs577 million shall be charged to AMP 2022-23. c. Procurement of Work through Direct Contracting with State Owned Entities as per PPRA Rule 42(f) owing to the emergent nature of the issue, on the request of concerned Member and concurrence of the same by Member (Engg Coord).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022