Progress on Lahore’s Bund Road Project has hit a snag due to administrative hurdles and outstanding payments to contractors, leading to delays in completion.
The Rs. 15 billion Bund Road aims to enhance the flow of traffic, but work has halted due to unpaid bills to contractors. Furthermore, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has not yet approved the revised cost estimate, which includes acquiring land for service roads.
According to a source, funds released by the government for the project haven’t reached the LDA yet, as the transfer process is stuck at the Accountant General of Punjab’s office in Lahore.
The government began the project in the third quarter of 2022 to address Bund Road’s poor condition, traffic congestion, and pollution. After conducting several studies, the government opted to rehabilitate the major outer artery, Bund Road, using innovative approaches.
In September, the caretaker chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi, laid the foundation stone for the Rs. 11.3 billion controlled access corridor project. Later, the project’s cost surged to Rs. 15 billion due to land acquisition requirements for service roads.
A revised cost estimate was submitted to the government, which ultimately approved it. The government instructed the LDA to forward the estimate to Ecnec for approval through the relevant departments.
After the new PML-N government took over, the relevant departments like planning and development and finance requested to share the revised cost estimates with the newly appointed heads of LDA and Housing Department for their awareness and approval, as per the source.
However, the estimate is still awaiting approval from LDA’s top management. “How can the project move forward if the authorities are not interested?” he questioned. “Everything, including the revised estimate’s approval, is stuck at LDA.”
He expressed concern that the project, already delayed by three months, could face another two-month delay if funds are not received promptly and the revised estimate is not approved and submitted to Ecnec within a few days.
LDA Director-General Tahir Farooq clarified that work on the project has not stopped but is progressing slowly due to a lack of funds.
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