ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority has decided to widen the busy expressway from Koral to Grand Trunk (G.T.) Road during the upcoming financial year.

The CDA in its budget for year 2021-22 has earmarked Rs2 billion for this project and has requested the federal government for the funds.

“We have earmarked Rs2 billion in our budget while we are making effort to get the amount from the federal government for widening of Islamabad Expressway from Koral to G.T. road,” said CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed.

Speaking to Dawn, he said during the upcoming fiscal year, the civic agency will start the said project. Two projects - expansion of Korang Bridge and P.W.D underpass are also in progress, which will be completed by June and December respectively and meanwhile, CDA will start expansion of the road.

CDA officials said once completed, the said two projects will resolve traffic congestion on the expressway to some extent, but without expansion of entire road from Koral to G.T. Road, the problem will not be resolved permanently.

The road, which starts from Faisal Mosque is already widened up until Koral; after Koral stop, traffic gets congested all of a sudden because the road after this point is two-lane causing difficulty for motorists.

The expressway caters both local and heavy traffic, particularly to and from Lahore while this road is also an important link between, Punjab, Azad Kashmir and KP as it also links with G.T. Road at Rawat.

With the passage of time, especially during the last two decades, the road saw a massive increase of traffic but it was not widened in accordance with the need of the hour.

Sources said that the CDA management had decided to seek funds of Rs500 million from the federal government to start expansion of the road.

The said decision was taken by CDA members and Mr Ahmed the other day, while discussing two ongoing development projects of expressway – P.W.D underpass and expansion of Korang Bridge.

He said meanwhile, the CDA will also construct service road from Faizabad Sohan stop to Koral and in the second phase, after expansion of road from Koral to G.T. Road, the service road will be constructed on either side of the road.

It is relevant to note here that last month CDA requested the federal government for Rs500 million for the said road, but later on the civic agency made a new plan for widening of the entire road.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2021