Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has directed its engineers to complete and open phase 2 of the controlled access Babu Sabu-Niazi Chowk/Interchange scheme, also known as the Bund Road Project, by July 31, as per the chief minister’s deadline.
During a visit to the project site, LDA Director General Tahir Farooq and other LDA officers instructed the engineering team to speed up the construction work by deploying additional workforce and machinery, especially after Youm-e-Ashur.
At the site, the DG was updated on the ongoing construction activities for phase 2. He was informed that work on the service roads on both sides of the elevated corridor from Niaz Chowk to Gulshan-e-Ravi Morr is in progress. The service road from Babu Sabu to Gulshan-e-Ravi will have three lanes, whereas from Gulshan-e-Ravi to Babu Sabu, it will have 1.5 lanes. Once these service lanes are completed, the project will be opened to address the severe mobility issues faced by residents of various areas, including Gulshan-e-Ravi.
Work on the Bund Road Project commenced in the third quarter of 2022 to tackle problems related to the road’s poor condition, traffic congestion, and pollution. After multiple studies, the government decided to rehabilitate this major outer artery using innovative approaches. At first, three options were evaluated for the project titled ‘Rehabilitation of Bund Road from Babu Sabu Interchange to Ring Road, including improvements at Gulshan-e-Ravi T-Junction. The project’s design and scope were later revised and finalized with an increased height for the main expressway and additional facilities.
In September, then-caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi laid the foundation stone for the project. This initiative aimed to restrict local traffic, including motorcycles, bicycles, cars, and rickshaws, from using the main elevated corridor. Instead, a separate two-lane expressway on each side was provided, along with subways for access to Babu Sabu, Niazi Chowk, or nearby localities, avoiding the Bund Road, which is part of the ring road. The project has already faced delays, leading to increased costs.