CDA Extends Margalla Avenue-E11 Road Project Deadline to October 30
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has once again postponed the deadline for the completion of a road project connecting the newly-constructed Margalla Avenue with E-11.
The new deadline is set for October 30, and the civic agency is confident that the work will be completed by then.
The 5.5 km road project, which includes an interchange valued at around Rs4 billion, commenced in December 2022 and was initially scheduled for completion by June 20 of this year. However, officials from the engineering wing argued that the six-month timeline specified in PC-I was unrealistic for such a large-scale project, leading to an extension of the deadline to August 15.
CDA officials cited the relocation of utility services and trees, land possession issues, and rain as factors that hindered progress. However, they assured that all obstacles have been addressed and work is progressing at full speed, with the aim to complete the project by October 30.
The contract for the project was awarded to the National Logistics Cell (NLC) last year against a bid of Rs3,983 million. The project involves the construction of a 5.5 km road from sector D-12, where Margalla Avenue ends, to Khayaban-i-Iqbal in E-11. The construction of a flyover and an interchange at E-11 is also included in the project.
The 10 km Margalla Avenue, which runs from G.T. Road to D-12, was opened in December last year and is being utilized by many motorists. However, they encounter difficulties upon reaching D-12. To address the anticipated traffic congestion, the CDA initiated the road portion linking E-11 and Khayaban-i-Iqbal in December last year.
Additionally, the CDA decided in June this year to construct the 11th Avenue, which will also connect to this road. Although former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone for the 11th Avenue Project, construction has not yet commenced.
As per Islamabad’s master plan, the 33-km-long Margalla Avenue begins at G.T. Road and concludes after traversing the foothills of the Margallas. However, instead of constructing the road in one continuous stretch, the CDA divided it into three smaller segments, leaving a significant portion of the road yet to be constructed.
The first phase involved the construction of a road from G.T. Road to D-12, the second phase is the ongoing construction from D-12 to E-11, and the third phase was the construction of the Bhara Kahu bypass.
A CDA official, while discussing the project, mentioned that missing the deadline is not a significant concern as it is common for construction companies to miss deadlines on major projects. “Frankly speaking, although the deadline in PC-I was unrealistic, we intended to motivate the contractor to complete the project as quickly as possible. The project is nearing completion, and we are optimistic that it will be open to traffic by the end of October,” he said.