ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to perform the groundbreaking of 7th Avenue Interchange and rehabilitation of I.J.P Road projects on Wednesday.

Both the projects will be executed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) of the Ministry of Defence, which also has another construction firm, the National Logistics Cell (NLC).

“The prime minister is going to perform the groundbreaking of both the projects on Wednesday,” said a board member of the CDA. He said the civic agency had completed arrangements for the function to be held at Pak-China Friendship Centre.

Following a recent decision of the federal government to amend procurement rules allowing government organisations to award contracts to state enterprises without floating tenders, the CDA on Friday decided to get these two projects along with the construction of the district courts executed through state organisations.

Construction of 7th Avenue Interchange and I.J.P Road will be carried out by FWO

The 7th Avenue Interchange worth Rs1.5 billion will be constructed at the junction of 7th Avenue and Srinagar Highway near Aabpara.

Sources said the project falls in a sensitive area due to which the CDA decided to engage the FWO for its smooth and speedy completion.

They said the interchange will be a cloverleaf with four left and right loops at the junction of 7th Avenue, Srinagar Highway, Khayaban-i-Soharwardi and Garden Avenue.

There will be an underpass to link both the portions of Khyaban-i-Soharwardi. This project was proposed in 2008 but faced delays in the start of work.

In the absence of an interchange, motorists face traffic congestion.

Under the second project worth over Rs6 billion, the I.J.P Road will be rehabilitated besides construction of two additional rigid lanes and three flyovers.

According to the master plans of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the CDA was supposed to develop the “I” sector and Rawalpindi a “J” sector. However, the authorities in Rawalpindi could not develop the “J” sector. The major road dividing the “I” and proposed “J” sectors is known as I.J. Principal Road.

The CDA’s Development Working Party last year had approved the PC-I which says the project will be completed in 18 months.

Before finalising the PC-1, the CDA had hired a consultant to carry out a feasibility study. The consultant suggested two additional rigid lanes and three flyovers in additional to the rehabilitation of the road.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2021