To tackle worsening traffic congestion and aging infrastructure, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to launch two more road development projects in Islamabad.
The plan includes long-awaited repairs of the Islamabad Expressway service road and the construction of a new connecting road that will link Margalla Road to the capital’s boundary, eventually joining a proposed route in Rawalpindi.
Service Road Repairs Long Overdue
Residents who have to travel daily between Sohan and Koral have been calling for repairs for years. The service road along the Expressway has deteriorated to the point where many motorists have to take other routes just to avoid the deep potholes and broken surfaces.
Despite repeated complaints, maintenance was delayed again and again. Now that the project has officially been added to CDA’s development plan, commuters are hoping the rehabilitation work actually begins rather than being pushed into the background again.
New Road to Connect With Rawalpindi
The second project is more forward-looking. CDA wants to build a new road branching off from Margalla Road and stretching to the city’s edge. There, it is meant to connect with a future road being planned by the Rawalpindi administration.
Officials say the idea is to improve intercity connectivity and ease the pressure on existing routes. However, the land acquisition process is still not complete. Until the planning and revenue departments wrap up that part, no physical work can begin.
Read more: CDA to complete the project to link Margalla Avenue with Peshawar motorway in one go
Progress at T-Chowk
While the two new projects are at early stages, work is visibly moving ahead on the T-Chowk flyover. Nearly 46 percent of the construction has already been completed. The Rs. 1.4 billion project covers around 1.1 kilometers at the intersection of GT Road and the Islamabad Expressway.
It is intended to smooth the heavy flow of vehicles coming from Lahore and nearby districts. The flyover was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month, and officials anticipate it to be finished within 150 days.
Shaheen Chowk Underpass to Follow
Separately, the CDA ratified that the contract for the Shaheen Chowk underpass has been awarded, and a formal inauguration is on the way. The project will be built at the intersection of Khyaban-i-Iqbal and 9th Avenue.
The design allows vehicles on Khyaban-i-Iqbal to pass through an underpass, while traffic on 9th Avenue will travel on an upper deck. This area is more often under jammed conditions especially during office and school hours due to the presence of multiple institutions and government buildings nearby.
Once these projects go ahead, CDA officials keep on believing that travel times will drop considerably, and commuters across the capital are going to see much-needed relief.