LAHORE: The Babu Sabu Interchange project has been delayed as according to construction contractors, the unstable political climate in Punjab prevented them from responding favorably.
The Babu Sabu Interchange project recently had its foundation stone placed by the previous chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, and it was generally hailed as a major accomplishment.
The project’s tender opening date was originally set for January 13, 2023, but that date was later moved forward to January 20, 2023, and finally to January 30, 2023, according to sources in the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Engineering wing.
According to the sources, several construction firms, including one on the blacklist, received letters of invitation from the engineering division of the Lahore Development Authority.
The Blacklisted Company was cleared on the High Court’s directives, according to LDA Chief Engineer Mazhar Khan, and as a result, they were also asked to participate in the tender.
This project called for the beginning of construction on Band Road between the Babu Sabu Interchange and the Ring Road as well as the building of an underpass at the Band Road’s Gulshan Ravi T intersection.
Furthermore, the project was expected to cost more than Rs. 4 billion, while Band Road restoration and underpass construction were expected to cost more than Rs. 3 billion each.
According to a senior LDA engineer, 10 Kanal and 5 marlas of the property would be purchased for the band Road project, and a six-lane road would be built along the two-kilometer stretch.
He stated that the three-lane, 5.1-meter-high Gulshan Ravi underpass would also be built as 138,960 automobiles would be facilitated by the project’s construction.
According to sources, the tender’s delay would cause prices to increase, adding to the LDA’s and the Punjab government’s financial burden.
They said that the LDA Engineering wing’s incompetence caused the tender to be delayed.
Besides, the delay in the tender deadline, according to LDA Chief Engineer Mazhar Khan, has nothing to do with the political climate.
He said that because several NOCs from the necessary government ministries were unavailable, the bidding period for the project, which was for the benefit of the public, had to be extended.
