ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: Several roads in the capital are in dilapidated condition due to the negligence of the Capital Development Authority’s Road Directorate.

Residents of the capital’s different areas have lodged several complaints with the authority regarding the poor condition of roads, but the CDA is reportedly paying no heed to the issue.

Except a few roads, ditches can be seen in almost all roads of the city, some of the residents complained.

“Roads here have never been in such a condition in the past,” they added.

The roads which are in dilapidated condition include Poly Clinic Hospital Road, Pims Hospital Road, roads in the vicinity of G-8 Markaz, the newly constructed Pindora Road, G-9/10 Road, F-11/10 Road, Karachi Company Double Road, double road of sector I-8, Melody Market Road, Golra Road, Radio Pakistan Road and Margalla Police Station Road.

Residents of Islamabad also complained about the bad condition of roads at all squares. They said roads at squares like Zero Point, Peshawar Mor, Aabpara, I-9 Road and I.J.Principal Road are in poor condition.

They criticized the CDA for using substandard material in the construction of roads as a result of which the condition of the roads has worsened.

Talking to Dawn some retired engineers of government departments accused the CDA of using substandard material in the construction of road beds as a result of which cracks and ditches had appeared within a few days of the completion of construction work.

Experts said the CDA did not use crushed stones for the construction of road beds specially in the case of the expressway and I-9 Road.

“It is easy and cheaper to use common rocks in the construction of roads instead of broken rocks of cliff. Contractors save time and expenditure of labour by using substandard crush in the construction of roads,” they added.

Retired civil engineers said the contractor of Islamabad expressway had installed a stone-crushing plant at the site of the construction work and was using substandard rocks.

The estimated cost of the expressway project is Rs494 million under an eight-km long and 20-feet broad third lane will be added to the existing dual carriageway of Islamabad Highway starting from Faizabad and ending at Tarnol.

Referring to the condition of the newly-constructed road from Peshawar Mor to I.J.Principal Road, they said due to usage of substandard material in the construction of road-bed, the condition of the road had again deteriorated.