The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has again missed the deadline of December 31, to open Zero Point Interchange (ZPI) for vehicular traffic, as the construction company could not complete work on the two important roads ie Faisal Avenue and Kashmir Highway.
The authority had earlier given the deadline of August 14, 2010 for opening the multi-billion projects but missed and then set December 31, 2010 as final deadline, however it failed to complete the project. The CDA had planned to open the project on December 31 for general public, but due to many reasons the deadline could not be met, sources in the CDA told Business Recorder.
They said that the work on National Monument-loop down towards Islamabad Highway from Kashmir Highway and another loop from Peshawar More towards Convention Center on Kashmir Highway was in the final stage, which would be completed in a week's time.
They said that the work on the two loops was started late, which was the main reason of delay in completion of the project. However, they said about 98 percent construction work has been completed. Almost all the link roads among Faisal Avenue and Khayaban-e-Suharawardy, Faisal Avenue and Kashmir Highway, Kashmir Highway and Faisal Avenue, Islamabad Highway and Kashmir Highway, second lane of Khayaban-e-Suharawardy and Kashmir Highway had already been opened for traffic, they added.
The Zero Point Interchange is the cluster of flyovers and roads being built adjacent to Zero Point on one side and Islamabad Highway on the other. The construction work was started in September 2008 and it was scheduled to be completed by September 02, 2010 and the CDA set the deadline of August 14, 2010 to open the project before the time, which was missed. The interchange was constructed in two phases, Phase 1 includes the three major loops of the interchange, while in Phase 2, two more loops which will connect Khayaban-e-Suhrawardy and Shakarparian would be constructed.