ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority is all set to open the newly built Iran Avenue (formerly 11th Avenue) from the D-12 to E-11 sector to traffic today after night-long preparations by the engineering wing of the civic agency to ensure the move.

The 5.5-kilometre portion of the highway, including an interchange, is worth Rs4 billion and started in December 2022. The road begins from D-12, merges into Margalla Avenue and culminates at the E-11 interchange and Khayban-i-Iqbal (also known as Margalla Road). This is the first phase of the project; in the second phase, a 7.5km long road will be constructed from E-11 to Karnal Sher Khan Road (formerly I.J.P Road). “We are all set to open this road at midnight so the residents of Islamabad can ply vehicles on it from today,” said a deputy director of the CDA.

The CDA official said this road would allow commuters to reach Sector E-11 from G.T. Road in a few minutes and facilitate the residents of Shah Allah Ditta and adjoining areas. Three new CDA sectors, C-13, C-14, and C-15, will also benefit from this road since they fall alongside the Margalla Avenue which has also been connected to the newly built road.

The official claimed that the project was completed for Rs3.5 billion and the CDA saved money through efficiency in this project. Asked about the second phase of this road, the official said that last week, the CDA board approved a summary of the engineering wing to hire a consultant to finalise the design of the 7.5km road.

Official says artery to significantly reduce travel time from G.T. Road to E-11

“Since the board has given the go-ahead for the consultant, we will soon float a bid for the hiring of the consultant, who will finalise the design within two months, then we will go for the tendering process to start the construction project,” he said.

During the last two years, the CDA completed the 7th Avenue interchange, Bhara Kahu bypass, Margalla Avenue from G.T. Road to D-12 as well as the abovementioned road. Several other projects which include the widening of Expressway, Park Road, and 10th Avenue are also in progress and there is a need to expedite these projects as soon as possible as they have already missed several deadlines.

According to Islamabad’s master plan, the 33-km-long Margalla Avenue starts from G.T. Road and ends after passing through the foothills of Margallas. However, the CDA divided the project into three phases and the major portion of the road is yet to be built.

In the first phase, a road was constructed from G.T. Road to D-12, while the second portion of the road, which is a part of Margalla Avenue and Iran Avenue as well, was completed from D-12 to E-11, and the Bhara Kahu bypass was constructed in the third phase. A CDA official said that besides constructing Iran Avenue from E-11 to I.J.P Road, the CDA should also construct Margalla Avenue as per its original alignment in the foothills of Margallas to provide a bypass road to traffic from G.T. Road.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2024