LAHORE - The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Saturday has completed constructing Azadi Chowk Signal Free Junction and new Circular Road Projects in a record time of 165 days at a total cost of Rs5.35 billion.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will formally inaugurate the projects very soon, an LDA spokesperson said.
Work on the Azadi Chowk Signal Free Junction was started by Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning Agency (TEPA) on January 15 this year which has been completed at a cost of Rs4.5 billion on 29 June.
A flyover and an elevated roundabout have also been constructed under this project at Ravi Road. The roundabout has three up-ramps and three down-ramps; two up-ramps and two down-ramps on Ravi Road, starting from Texali Chowk and ending at Timber Market. One up-ramp and a down-ramp have also been constructed on Ahmad Ali Road. The overall length of the interchange is 2.53 kilometers.
Traffic leading to Circular Road from Data Darbar, Shahdara and Timber Market will use this flyover for going to Maulana Ahmed Ali Road, Lorry Adda and other points at Circular Road. On average, over two hundred thousand vehicles will daily pass through this junction, saving fuel of Rs9 million per annum.
New Circular Road was also part of this project, which has been completed at a cost of Rs1.35 billion. Total length of this road is 1.6 km. This dual carriage way is 14.7 meters wide on each side. Each side comprises of four lanes and every lane is 3.3 meter wide. A roundabout and two U-turns were also made on this road. This new road was started from Maulana Ahmed Ali Road and then connects Minar-e-Pakistan, Lorry Adda, Badami Bagh, Masti Gate and Circular Road.
Mayo projects inaugurated
Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Kh Salman Rafiq and Chief Secretary Punjab Naveed Akram Cheema on Saturday inaugurated various projects completed with the financial assistance of philanthropists at Mayo Hospital.
Philanthropists provided Rs354 million for setting up Dialysis Centre in Nephrology Department, construction of roads outside OPD, addition of one floor at Pediatric Department building, installation of tube-well, construction of mosque, provision of meal to 1600 patients twice of day, upgrade of Orthopedic and Traumatology department.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Kh Salman Rafiq said that donors were the real heroes who were spending millions of rupees for the public welfare. He said that government had allocated Rs121 billion for health sector and special attention was paid to the prevention of diseases.
He lauded the services of philanthropists who had provided 354 million for the Mayo Hospital development projects.
The chief secretary said that though the government had enhanced health budget by 16 per cent, role of philanthropists was important in providing best treatment facilities to the deserving patients. He appreciated philanthropists for donating huge amount for the suffering humanity.