Capital’s arterial road a story of neglect

Asubstantial broken portion of Islamabad Expressway, one of the most busy traffic arteries in the capital, requires prompt attention from city officials.

Continuous negligence to its deteriorated state prevents smooth traffic flow and is testing commuters’ patience. The two-lane highway, on each side of the road from Korang nullah bridge entrance up to Rawat, had developed cracks. This wear and tear has turned a huge stretch of the road bumpy and accident-prone.

Daily motorists have to negotiate a maze of unexpected road surfaces and take a bumpy ride through uneven ditches. The situation gets worse as heavy vehicles occupying the narrow lanes on each side move at a snail’s pace and in a haphazard manner, without following any traffic laws.

The heavy traffic has also created ruts in the macadamised road and weather vagaries had left the road surface exposed, especially after crossing the Korang nullah bridge up to Naval anchorage society.

“Crossing this rutted stretch of road really tests a driver’s skills, as it is not an easy affair,” said Manzoor Bhatti, a bank official in PWD colony.

Farooq Naeem, a daily commuter, pointed out that in the past, cracked road surfaces or potholes were filled or repaired by the concerned department, but now after years of neglect, the situation has worsened.

A number of residents, whose expensive vehicles were damaged on this patch are frustrated by the apathetic attitude of the Capital Development Authority, which has always cited the lack of funds as an excuse for not undertaking any repairs on the highway.

On an everyday basis, the heavily loaded trucks can be seen occupying the fast lane, after ramming into rough and sharp surfaces, and keeping the traffic held up for hours, another resident Shafi Khattak said.