NHA asked to build interchange on T-Chowk through PPP
The National Highway Authority (NHA) has been asked to build an interchange at the intersection of Islamabad Expressway and GT Road under public private partnership mode.
The said proposed interchange falls at the end of Islamabad Expressway where it joins GT Road, which is commonly known as T-Chowk
Earlier, a meeting regarding encroachments and ROW violations at Islamabad Expressway and GT Road was held at Chaklala Cantonment Board Rawalpindi during which several issues came under discussion.
Few weeks ago, NHA had sent a letter to the Capital Development Authority and asked to prepare a plan and feasibility report to start the aforementioned project on PPP mode.
However, the civic authority has informed NHA in response that the said interchange falls inside the ROW of the GT Road therefore it comes under the purview of NHA.
A letter in this regard was sent by Member Planning CDA Dr. Shahid Mahmood to General Manager Maintenance North NHA Iftikhar Ahmed Sajid last Friday.
The said letter clarified that according to the previous meeting held at Rawalpindi, the task to remodel the T-Chowk was assigned to NHA as it falls on the right of way of the GT Road.
The letter stated further that though the project is to be taken up by the NHA however CDA would provide its input wherever required by the road authority.
A state of the art interchange on T-Chowk is quite necessary as a signal on main GT Road is an obstacle and harms smooth flow of traffic.
Meanwhile, after the completion of ongoing PWD underpass and Korang bridge projects, the burden of traffic will also be increased on the said junction and without having an interchange it will mess up the traffic coming from the capital city and the Rawalpindi.