ISLAMABAD: Work on the stalled-project Margalla Avenue is expected to resume in two weeks, as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to ignore the lingering land issue and take a detour from the obstruction.

The eight-kilometre-segment of Margalla Avenue from G.T. Road to Sector D-12 has been stalled since more than a year, as the land settlement with the local villagers near Sangjani could not materialise. The locals had refused to compromise over shifting their traditional graveyard in the area.

“After trying all possible way and means to settle the land issue, the authority has now decided to take a detour of around two to three kilometres and stop wasting more time over it,” CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal told Dawn.

“The development and construction work on Margalla Avenue project will restart right after Eidul Fitr,” CDA Member Engineering Shahid Sohail said.

After successful negotiations, the officials of the civic body have convinced the original contractor to complete the project for Rs588 million, the rate which was set in June 2012, without any price escalations.

With 24-feet-wide dual lanes, the 8.5km-long Margalla Avenue has a 20 feet median, with nine culverts.

Around 53 per cent work on the project has already been completed; the remaining work will be completed soon.

Margalla Avenue project is one of the ring roads of the federal capital, which have been earmarked in the master plan of the city too, which is supposed to move from G.T. Road near Tarnol area, and touch Murree Road at Kot Hatyal, after Bhara Kahu, towards Murree city.

CDA has also started working on the Margalla Avenue in a bid to provide access to new sectors, such as C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16 and particularly D-12, from G.T. Road and Motorway in future.

The road will also facilitate the commuters, coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Motorway, with an easy access to Islamabad, especially while going towards Murree.

The civic body has also decided to initiate work on developing Margalla Avenue’s segment from Constitution Avenue till Murree Road.

“CDA has already started to work on the feasibility study, alignments and other basic requirements of the project, with our own human resource,” the member engineering said, adding that “the prequalification of contractors for this segment is scheduled to be held in the second week of August.”

However, the second phase of the project that is from Golra Mor to Constitution Avenue, however, still remains a controversy.

“New developments have sprung up across the existing Margalla Road and settlements, such as E-7 sector, were not a part of the master plan,” said Amer Ali, CDA member administration. “However, we have decided that both ends of Margalla Avenue will be linked with the existing Margalla Road.”

He added that there is no plan to expand the existing Margalla Road, within the current fiscal year, but it is likely that the expansion of the road could take place in the next fiscal year, i.e. 2015-16.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2014