ISLAMABAD: Nature continued to test the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) two multibillion-rupee interchange projects as heavy rain on Thursday damaged a portion of the road at the F-8 Interchange, raising serious questions about the quality of work.

The F-8 Interchange was constructed in a ‘record time’ some months ago. However, the heavy rain exposed the quality of the work, as a road that is part of the project — leading towards Rawalpindi and vice versa — suffered subsidence due to rainwater.

CDA teams kept the road blocked for a few hours and temporarily fixed it. Later, the road was reopened for traffic.

Meanwhile, the damaged road remained a topic of discussion on social media, with netizens stating that work executed in haste could not withstand heavy rain. The F-8 flyover and underpass project, worth Rs4.1 billion, was completed in a record time of a few months, with the underpass finished in 42 days.

However, the design of the entire project remains questionable, as a sharp loop in the underpass and a sharp left turn on the flyover have raised concerns.

A three-lane road abruptly becomes a two-lane road after entering the underpass, as the third lane is used for the loop that exits towards 9th Avenue. Similarly, on the flyover, there is a right loop on the fast lane. Despite this, the CDA has always defended the design and stated that the project was executed in accordance with “international standards.”

Meanwhile, the second priority project — the Jinnah Square Interchange project — also faced water accumulation in its underpasses last month, rendering them impassable for half an hour.

Additionally, surplus earth and debris dumped along the Srinagar Highway caused flooding in the Diplomatic Enclave, where water remained accumulated for a week. During construction, the debris and earth had been dumped on an old culvert, which was only recently recovered, allowing water to flow smoothly.

The CDA had faced criticism for the flooding in the Diplomatic Enclave, which houses embassies and foreign missions.

Although the civic agency managed to resolve the issue after tracing the culvert, Thursday’s rain brought more criticism as the F-8 Interchange road was damaged. When contacted for the CDA’s point of view on the F-8 Interchange, a spokesperson stated that the main structures of the F-8 Interchange and its loops are not only fully intact, sound, and stable but are also operational, ensuring the highest quality and standards.

He said that due to an unprecedentedly heavy and continuous spell of rain, an isolated part of the road “developed a very minor issue,” which was addressed by the contractor immediately after the rain stopped. The flow of traffic was restored within hours.

“The prompt rectification [of the damaged portion of the road] within hours shows the full preparedness of the contractor, who addressed the matter himself under the mandatory two-year maintenance period,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2025