Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Anwar-ul-Haq has ordered the engineering wing to open the Bhara Kahu bypass to all traffic after installing speed breakers and signboards.
He also ordered the civic agency to repair Murree Road beneath the Bhara Kahu bypass on an urgent basis, which has been in shambles since the construction began. The chairman asked the engineering wing why the Bhara Kahu bypass had not been opened to heavy traffic after spending billions of rupees on it.
The engineering wing replied that the bypass traffic was prohibited owing to speeding issues. The sources claimed the chairman ordered the city council to open the road to all traffic after consulting with the traffic police and placing speed breakers to slow big vehicles. He also ordered service road rehabilitation on both sides of the bypass.
The chairman and member engineering at the meeting suggested that the National Logistics Cell (NLC) rehabilitate Murree Road and service roads as additional work. The NLC built the bypass road, therefore CDA offered it service road and Murree Road maintenance contracts as well.
CDA officials said,
We are aware of the dilapidated Murree Road and delinking of underpasses in the absence of service roads. Due to haste, we offered NLC this assignment as additional work. Hopefully they will answer within a few days, or we will tender for a private construction firm.
The timeline for the opening of the Bhara Kahu bypass for all traffic is still unknown.
Good to know that another infrastructure project will soon be at the service of the people. However, installing speed breakers on a road where there is fast flow of traffic is not a good idea at all. The mettalic speed breakers not just shake the vehicles badly but also the human occupants of these vehicles. Elderly people with fragile bones run the risk of fracturing them. Moreover, the nails fixing those mettalic sheets into the ground come up after some time and can cause serious damage to the tyres. Such mettalic speed breakers are only useful at places like airports where people do not visit so frequently and the vehicles get slower as these approach the airport. Hopefully the authorities will think over it.
“Heavy traffic and speed breakers on the Bara Kahu By- pass and 1 km long but NARROW Fly- over”, is not at all a good idea. Heavy traffic should use Murree Road, otherwise speed breakers and heavy traffic will again make the smooth flow of the traffic very slow and irritating. Being the daily commuter from Murree to Islamabad and back to Murree, the B.K By- pass is a great facility. The concerned authority is requested to reconsider about heavy traffic and speed breakers.
Good decision of CDS .They should activate all concerned to resolve this issue immidiately.
Internationally competitive construction quality is essential