CDA receives Rs11bn bid for Islamabad Expressway expansion project

ISLAMABAD: The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has forwarded a bid of Rs11 billion to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the 7km Islamabad Expressway expansion project from PWD to Grand Trunk (G.T.) Road.

The civic agency will evaluate the bid to reach a conclusion. CDA recently announced that it will be taking bids from government-run construction companies for the expansion project, to which FWO and the National Logistics Cell (NLC) responded.

According the a CDA spokesperson, the bid proposed by FWO amounted to Rs10.9 billion, while NLC forwarded a bid of Rs11.7 billion. Currently, the lowest quoted bid has been submitted by the FWO.

The civic authority’s Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) is currently evaluating both bids, and the lowest bidder will be asked to submit their rates. Once the committee approves the final offer, CDA management will the accept the bid to issue work orders.

The expansion project from PWD to Rawat will be completed in a duration of 18 months. The project entails widening the expressway from the current two lanes to four lanes on both sides, along with the construction of the Sohan bridge.

The Islamabad Expressway is a key route that links the city to Rawalpindi, and the rest of Punjab via the G.T. Road. Once completed, the project will improve traffic congestion and make intercity travelling relatively seamless.