New Year Gift - Zero Point interchange to be ready by December 31

Zero Point Interchange (ZPI), one of the on-going mega projects of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), would be completed by December 31 this year, said Project Director Mumtaz Hussain. “We have planned to open the interchange by December 31 and hopefully we will achieve the objective within the stipulated time,” he told this agency. However, the monument-loop down towards Islamabad Highway from Kashmir Highway would be opened after December 31, as work on this portion was started late. He said around 98 percent construction work had been completed and rest of the work was going on with satisfactory pace. The construction company, Maqbool Associates, started the construction work in September, 2008. He said the link roads between Faisal Avenue and Khayaban-e-Suharawardy, Faisal Avenue and Kashmir Highway, Kashmir Highway and Faisal Avenue, Islamabad Highway and Kashmir Highway, second lane of Khayaban-e-Suharawardy and Kashmir Highway had already been opened for traffic. Mumtaz Hussain said that the CDA’s Environment Wing was making efforts to ensure utilisation of the spaces available between the loops and link roads of the project by beautifying these patches with attractive landscaping and plantation to reinforce its green character and pleasant environment. He said the CDA had so far paid the construction company around Rs2 billion out of the total cost of Rs2.34 billion. Talking to this agency, spokesman of Maqbool Associated Malik Shabbir expressed the satisfaction over the timely payment of bills.