Traffic Congestion At Faizabad Irks Commuters

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jan, 2019 ) :Traffic jam on Islamabad Expressway particularly near Faizabad bridge has become a nuisance for the commuters coming from Zero Point as kilometer long queues of vehicles were being witnessed daily during peak hours owing to designing flaws of the only cloverleaf Interchanges of Federal capital which join three roads.

Tensions mount immediately after crossing the I/8 interchange, a complete mess awaits for commuters as complete chaos could be seen on this section of the road if one makes a mistake to travel over it particularly during peak hours.

The heavy traffic coming from Murree road and Pirvadhai to join Islamabad Highway is in real discomfort as there is no space left for the vehicles to join the Expressway as vehicles coming from Zero Point occupy the lane leading towards loop going to Murree road. Indeed the motorists have to wait for hours to join the Expressway or go towards the interchanges' loop on left leading towards the Murree road, Rawalpindi.

The portion of Expressway crossing Faizabad interchange is perhaps the busiest as far as movement of vehicle is concerned as every driver is in hurry to cross the Faizabad bridge, resulting in traffic congestion.

Due to designing flaws, Faizabad bridge has proved narrower for hundreds of vehicles coming from Zero Point, Pirvadhai and wanting to go to Murree road or moving ahead to Sohan or beyond.

Faizabad Interchange is the main gateway between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi made during late 1998 to better solve the traffic problem on Murree Road & Islamabad Highway. The need is construct a new loop for smooth joining of the traffic coming from Pirvadhai and Murree Road Rawalpindi to join the Expressway in a smooth way.

Furthermore, there is a dire need to construct another loop at Faizabad Interchange to directly link Murree Road (Islamabad) with IJP Road, which had been dropped by the Capital Development Authority, (CDA) while constructing the first-ever interchange in the federal capital during late nineties.

Unfortunately, the Planning Commission had dropped the construction of the said loop owing to the shortage of funds, but now it was direly needed because the traffic heading towards the IJP Road has either to pass through Islamabad Highway or to take the U-turn from Shamsabad.

Meanwhile commuting on Islamabad Expressway between Korang Bridge and Rawat has become a nightmare as traffic remains clogged for hours. The residence of Pakistan Town, Korang Town, River Garden, Bahria Town, Media Town, Doctors Town, Police Foundation, Navel Anchorage, Jinnah Garden, Soan Gardens and localities up to Rawat have demanded of the federal government to release the allocated funds for the construction of remaining portion of Islamabad Expressway from Korang Nullah to T-Chowk Rawat.

The test of nerves of commuters start immediately after crossing Guberg Underpass as the spacious road suddenly narrowed from Korang bridge, leading to severe traffic chaos as the road is too narrow and in dilapidated condition also.

The recent step of ICT management to restrict the movement of heavy traffic at Islamabad Highway during office hours made no affect to traffic mess especially at Korang bridge and beyond as crossing the narrow bridge is still uphill task for the commuters as long queues of trucks, buses and other vehicles could be seen during rush hours.

Intercity public transport, trucks and long vehicles, plying between Lahore and Peshawar, also had to spend almost half-a-day in the clogged traffic as it was the only route available for them. The construction work from Korang nullah bridge to T-Chowk on GT Road would be started immediately after releasing of the allocated Rs 7 billion funds by the federal government, said an official of Capital Development Authority when contacted.

He said the project included widening of the existing two-lane a side road into five-lane a side, widen the existing two-lane bridges and construction of more inter-changes at suggested locations. The project to widen the Islamabad Expressway was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in July 2015. The two phases consisted of widening expressway from Zero Point to the Koral interchange has been completed.

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