ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has delayed the 7th Avenue interchange for the junction of 7th Avenue and Kashmir Highway near Aabpara.

Sources said the authority is currently focusing on the G-7 and G-8 underpass and the PWD underpass on the expressway, and its engineering wing has shelved the 7th Avenue interchange for the time being.

The project for the interchange was announced in 2008 but has yet to begin. It has been placed before the CDA Development Working Party (DWP) several times, but a final decision on it has not been made.

Meanwhile, motorists routinely face traffic congestion at the 7th Avenue and Kashmir Highway intersection because of the prolonged traffic signals there. The project was designed to ease traffic in this area, but the CDA has been delaying it since it was announced.

CDA working on G-7, G-8 and PWD underpasses and has shelved 7th Avenue project for the time being, sources say

In addition, the traffic police and CDA have to install another traffic light at the junction because of the opening of Khayaban-i-Suharwardy.

“We are focusing on the G-7 and G-8 and PWD underpass projects. We will focus on the 7th Avenue interchange at a later stage,” a CDA engineer said, adding that the 7th Avenue project will cost around Rs1.5 billion, and it has been decided that small projects will be prioritised.

The aforementioned interchange would be built on Aabpara Chowk, connecting 7th Avenue to Kashmir Highway and Garden Avenue. CDA engineers said it is similar in design to the Zero Point interchange.

They added that the proposed cost of the project would increase in a revised estimate.

The engineers said the CDA’s financial situation has improved in the last few months and with Rs12bn in its accounts, funding is not an issue when it comes to carrying out the project.

The CDA, which used to carry out development projects in the city under former chairman Kamran Lashari, has not executed any interchange or bridge-related development works for several years.

The authority is now set to begin working on the G-7 and G-8 and the PWD underpasses.

When contacted, CDA spokesperson Syed Safdar Shah said the project has not been shelved but has yet to be approved by the CDA-DWP because of technical issues. He said the authority would execute the project after completing the formalities.

“We are pursuing this project. It was placed before the CDA-DWP recently, which has directed for cost rationalising and for looking into other technical aspects,” he said, adding that the project will be submitted to the CDA-DWP again for final approval.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2019