ISLAMABAD: Work on construction of 7th Avenue Interchange will be completed in October this year, according to the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The interchange is being built at the junction of 7th Avenue, Srinagar Highway, Khayaban-i-Suhrwardi and Garden Avenue near Aabpara.

Officials of CDA’s engineering wing said work is underway in full pace and over 50 percent of it has already been completed, adding that according to the PC-I, work will be finished by October and no delay in this regard is expected.

“Despite disturbance of work in the month of March due to the visit of the Australian cricket team and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meetings, we are moving forward in the right pace and we are sure that work will be completed in October,” said an official of CDA, adding major work on the bridge has been completed and currently, the underpass is being built. The contractor will then move towards slip roads and so on.

The National Logistics Cell (NLC) has been executing the said project.

Last year, then prime minister Imran Khan performed groundbreaking of the 7th Avenue Interchange and two other projects: overhauling and expansion of I.J.P Road and construction of the Sihala flyover.

The interchange will act like a cloverleaf, with four left and right loops, while there will be an underpass to link both portions of Khayaban-i-Suhrwardi. Construction of the interchange was planned in 2008 and many times the CDA management discussed it, but no practical progress was made.

On the other hand, motorists have been facing traffic congestion at the junction.

Long queues of vehicles are seen on a daily basis particularly during office and school hours.

CDA officials said the progress of this project is almost better than all other road projects.

“Earlier, we were expecting that the project will be completed before the deadline, but due to disturbance during the last month, because of security issues due to visits of the cricket team and OIC delegation as well as upcoming Eid holidays, we cannot complete it before the deadline, but we are sure, this project will be completed in October,” an official said.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2022