Islamabad: Capital road network to be okay in 3 years: CDA

[Naveed Yaseen]

Muhammad Anis
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will complete whole the road network in the federal capital in the next less than three years, CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari said on Monday.

“It will take another two to three years to complete all the ongoing and coming road projects including avenues, highways, underpass and flyovers,” CDA chairman told ‘The News’. The top city manager who faced all the criticism during his tenure for taking various road projects at a time, said had the CDA not taken up road development projects, the metropolitan could have suffered the worst traffic jams in view of rapidly increasing number of vehicles.

According to careful estimates, at least 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles are registered in Islamabad on daily basis. These do not include the old ones, which the residents of twin cities purchase from Karachi, Lahore and other cities.

Lashari said the upcoming road projects in Islamabad would be as important as the 7th and 9th avenues. The CDA plans to start work on three more avenues including 11th, 10th and 6th avenue in near future.

The 11th avenue project is in process of pre-qualification of construction firms while 10th and 6th avenue would also come up before the end of ongoing financial year. “We will shortlist contractors for four-kilometre long 11th avenue by the first week of next month following which selected firms will be asked to submit their financial bids,” DG Works Abdul Jabbar Malano when contacted said.

The 11th avenue starting from Kashmir Highway would end at Margalla Avenue. However, the vital among these projects is seemed to be the 10th avenue, which is starting from I J Principal Road near Sector I-10/4 and would end at Margalla Avenue.

The 10th avenue would envisage reducing travel time between Rawalpindi and Islamabad’s G-9, G-10, G-11, F-10, F-11 and other adjoining sectors. Following completion of this avenue, the distance between Rawalpindi’s Satellite Town and Khyaban-e-Sir Syed would reduce to four kilometres.

All avenues would have nearly one dozen underpasses and interchanges that would also be completed along with execution of roadwork.Lashari said that the Islamabad Highway following its expansion and rehabilitation would be opened permanently for traffic in the first week of November while work on Kashmir Highway would also start shortly.

The other road projects would include expansion of Garden Avenue, Lehtrar Road, three interchanges on 9th avenue at crossings of I J Principal Road, Kashmir Highway and Jinnah Avenue and an interchange on 7th avenue at crossing of Khyaban-e-Suharwardy.

“The development is an unending process but most of major development projects in Islamabad will be completed in less than three years,” CDA chairman said.Kamran Lashari maintained that the authority would try to utilize maximum funds from existing development budget for the ongoing fiscal year.

Meanwhile, the work on Zero Point Interchange, flyover at Citibank Chowk and Islamabad Highway would start on return of labourers from Eid holidays in the next couple of days. “I have directed opening of Faisal Avenue underpass by September 30 as it might taken another 10 days to complete work after Eid day,” Lashari said.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=139696