ISLAMABAD: City managers have approved the alignment of the proposed 51-km-long eastern bypass which will start from G.T. Road to end at Satra Meel near Bhara Kaku.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board at a meeting held with its Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed in the chair approved the alignment of the road.

After crossing various areas such as Kalar Syedan Road, partially Kahuta, Nilor and Rakh Tumair, the road will culminate at Satra Meel at Murree Expressway.

Sources said out of the 51km, 14km area falls in Islamabad’s jurisdiction while 37km in Rawalpindi while five km portion of the road will cross through a forest land.

The sources said the road will also have six interchanges. The alignment was prepared by the army’s Engineer-in-Chief Branch (ENC) which was hired by the CDA a few months ago for the project.

The sources said the ENC branch had proposed several alignment options for CDA to pick one of them and the city managers opted for the said alignment as it had very less built-up cases.

The sources said once built, the bypass road will help reduce traffic on Murree Road, Srinagar Highway and other major roads as traffic between Kashmir and Lahore will also be using it. The construction of the road will also play a role in development of the rural areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad by opening new business avenues there.The project was approved by the federal cabinet last year while approving an interim report prepared by a commission formed to revise Islamabad’s master plan.

The sources said the CDA was also planning to set up a special economic zone along the bypass road under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

CDA officials said once constructed the road will work as a sort of a ring road, starting from Rawat and culminating at Satra Meel near Murree Expressway.

The Margalla Road project, which starts from Sangjani, after crossing Constitution Avenue, Bari Imam and other areas, will also link the point in future.

The sources said now the ENC branch will start working for feasibility report of the eastern bypass.

The CDA board also took several other policy decisions that included increasing the depth of commercial areas abating astride major roads in Zone IV and V. Earlier, the commercial area was 200 feet which now has been enhanced to 400 feet.

The board also in principle approved temporary access for Pakistan Housing Foundation (PHA) residential project through CDA’s Park Enclave Housing Scheme and eight acres for a housing project at Kuri of judicial officers and officials.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2020