ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to start construction of 11th Avenue to avoid expected traffic mess at E-11 and Khayaban-i-Iqbal after completion of an under construction road linking newly constructed Margalla Avenue with sector E-11.

When the work on 5.5-km-long road from D-12 (a point where Margalla Avenue ends) to E-11 will be completed by July, entire traffic of Margalla Avenue will move towards E-11 and Khayaban-i-Iqbal (two lanes on each side of the road), and will cause traffic bottleneck.

A retired bureaucrat speaking to Dawn on Tuesday said that if traffic problem was not solved at the said junction, “this area will be a new Raja Bazaar”, he said, adding that existing two lane Khayaban-i-Iqbal is already facing traffic congestion issue because of a number of educational institutions there. “Therefore, when traffic of Margalla Avenue will move towards this road, there will be traffic congestion,” he said.

Move aimed at checking expected traffic mess at E-11, Khayaban-i-Iqbal

Upon his assessment of expected traffic congestion, Dawn approached Chairman CDA Noorul Amin Mengal for his point of view.

“I do agree about expected traffic congestion, but just yesterday, we made an important decision of construction of 11th Avenue, which will provide a direct link to the under construction E-11 road with Srinagar Highway,” he said and added that on Tuesday, CDA also started survey for the construction of 11th Avenue.

The CDA chairman further said: “the survey will be completed within one month and we will ensure early start of 11th Avenue project.

In the meantime, we will also provide some traffic solution to avoid congestion on Khyaban-i-Iqbal, he said.

He said that after construction of 11th Avenue, which will be linked with Srinagar Highway and IJP, the traffic load will be divided.

Mr Mengal said that 11th Avenue is master plan road and it will be highly beneficial for public.

Talking about the ongoing 5.5-km-long road from D-12 to E-11, which is supposed to be ready by June 20, but now will be completed by July as so far only 45pc work on the road has been completed, the chairman said.

He said: “This is a mega project and its deadline should have been one year. But in PC-1 its deadline was set at six months. Anyhow, I have directed the engineering wing to complete it in June,” he said and added that maximum, “it will be completed by mid of July,” he said and added that he has been personally monitoring the progress on this project on daily basis.

Last year, CDA awarded work to National Logistic Cell (NLC) against bid of Rs3,983 million for construction of 5.5km road from D-12 (where Margalla Avenue ends to E-11).

Construction of flyover and interchange at E-11 is also part of this project and work is in progress on both components – road and interchange.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2023