ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Thursday decided to expedite the ongoing work on 10th Avenue and build the proposed 11th Avenue on a priority basis.

In a meeting, CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa got a briefing from the member engineering and other officers regarding the said projects. Sources said that the chairman was informed that 10th Avenue was a federal government-funded project and the sluggish release of funds was one of the main reasons for the poor progress of the project.

The Rs10.2 billion project was launched in 2022 through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) by the CDA and it was to be completed in March this year, but after it missed the deadline, a new deadline of December 2024 was fixed. However, only 35pc of the work has been done so far.

The meeting was told that out of the total Rs10.2 billion, the CDA had received Rs4 billion only and for this fiscal year, the government earmarked Rs400 million out of the remaining Rs6 billion. They said the engineering wing was ordered to expedite the work to complete it as soon as possible, adding that the CDA chairman said he would personally request the federal government to release the required funds.

CDA chairman for swift hiring of consultant for 11th Avenue

Sources said that the proposed 11th Avenue project also came under discussion and the CDA chief was informed that a 2-km portion of the avenue – also known as Iran Avenue – from D-12 to E-11 had been completed while a consultant was being hired for the primary phase of the project i.e. the road from Sector E-11 to I.J.P Road. The consultant would help with the design of the project.

According to the sources, the CDA chief during the meeting said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (during his first stint) had laid the foundation stone of this project last year and the construction work should have been started at the time as well, but the project still could not be started. Sources said that the CDA chairman said a consultant for the project should be hired as soon as possible and work be carried out on a priority basis.

Despite these pending projects, the CDA is also planning to start 16th and 17th avenues but they are currently at the planning stage. It is relevant to note here that the above mentioned avenues are major roads of Islamabad and part of the master plan of the city. After every sector, per the master plan, there is a major road, like 7th Avenue crosses between G-6 and G-7, 8th Avenue (also known as Faisal Avenue) passes between G-7 and G-8, and 9th Avenue bifurcates G-8 and G-9.

After 9th Avenue, the CDA failed to complete new avenues, except for the ongoing 10th Avenue. However, other than these avenues, two main road projects – the Park Road and Islamabad Expressway expansion projects – are near completion.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2024