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Status of Margalla Avenue-Margalla Avenue will be extended upto IJP (Col Sher Khan Road)

Margalla Avenue

The ambitious road construction project, worth approximately Rs 4 billion, aims to link the newly-constructed Margalla Avenue with E-11.

Commenced in December 2022, the 5.5km road project was assigned a six-month deadline for completion, set for June 20 of this year.

However, with only 45% of the work completed thus far, it appears highly unlikely that the CDA will meet the deadline as per official statements.

“While we are exerting all-out efforts to complete this project, it is next to impossible to meet the June 20 deadline,” admitted an official from the CDA.

ALSO READ CDA Considering the Establishment of a New Business District on Margalla Avenue

The official cited service shifting as a main contributing factor causing the delay.

The Margalla Avenue project involves constructing a 5.5km road that stretches from sector D-12, where Margalla Avenue currently ends, to Khayaban-i-Iqbal in E-11.

Furthermore, the plan includes the construction of a flyover and an interchange at E-11, aiming to alleviate potential traffic congestion in the area.

Substantial progress has been made on the project, with the completion of the sub-base work for the road and the construction of girders for the interchange.

According to the official, the next step is to initiate the girders launching work. With maximum effort, the official suggested that the project could be completed within the next three months.

Margalla Avenue, already serving as a shortcut road for motorists along a 10km stretch from GT Road to D-12, is expected to experience a significant increase in traffic due to the ongoing residential and commercial development in the surrounding areas.

The CDA is currently working on four residential sectors along this road, with construction underway in two sectors and plans to commence work in the remaining two.

ALSO READ CDA Successfully Installs 50th Girder at Bhara Kahu Project Amid Rapid Progress

Additionally, a central business district (CBT) is planned along Margalla Avenue, further fueling future expectations of heavy traffic flow.

Anticipating potential bottlenecks near D-12, the CDA decided to construct the 5.5-km road from D-12 to E-11 to mitigate future traffic congestion.

However, concerns have been raised regarding the CDA’s focus on completing only a portion of Margalla Avenue rather than the entire road from GT Road to Murree Road in Bhara Kahu, as originally planned.

“Construction of the first and last portion of Margalla Avenue is commendable, but the CDA should have prioritized the completion of the entire road as outlined in the master plan,” expressed an official, highlighting the importance of adhering to the planned alignment to ensure long-term effectiveness and connectivity.

As the deadline looms, the CDA will need to intensify its efforts to expedite the remaining construction work on Margalla Avenue.

Failure to complete the project within the extended timeframe may result in increased traffic congestion and inconvenience for commuters, emphasizing the need for timely and efficient execution of critical infrastructure projects.

 

سی ڈی اے کامارگلہ ایو نیو کو ڈی بارہ کے بعد ای الیون تک توسیع دینے کا فیصلہ
اکتوبر  1، 2022

اسلام آ باد ( نیوز رپورٹر) سی ڈی اے کا مارگلہ ایو نیو کو سیکٹر ڈی بارہ کے بعد ای الیون تک توسیع دینے کا فیصلہ کیا ہے۔ ا س کیلئے ساڑھے پانچ کلومیٹر کی چھ رویہ شاہراہ تعمیر کی جا ئے گی۔اس پر دو راب 60 کروڑ روپے لاگت آ ئے گی۔ شعبہ روڈز نے پیپرا رولز کی سیکشن 42ایف کے تحت سر کاری تعمیراتی کمپنیوں سے پانچ اکتوبر تک ٹینڈر طلب کر لئے ہیں۔نئی شاہراہ کی الائنمنٹ کی منظوری دیدی گئی ہے۔ شاہراہ ڈی بارہ سے 12thایونیو کی الائنمنٹ پر ڈیڑھ کلومیٹر تعمیر ہوگی۔ وہاں سے ڈی اور ای سیکٹر سیریز کے درمیان یہ بطور پرنسپل روڈ دو کلومیٹر تعمیر ہو گی۔ اس کے بعد یہ 11thایونیو کی الائنمنٹ میں دو کلو میٹر تعمیر ہوگی اور ای لیون چوک مارگلہ روڈ پر ختم ہو گی۔ ای لیون ٹریفک سگنل چوک پر انٹر چینج تعمیر کیا جا ئے گا جس کے ذ ریعے یہ ٹریفک تقسیم ہو جا ئے گی۔پراجیکٹ کا پی سی ون منظور کیا جا چکا ہے۔

11-12-2021   Margalla Avenue Lanes Increased from 4 to 6.

26-4-2021    Full details of Margalla Avenue

19-04-2021

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan performed ground-breaking of Islamabad-Margalla Highway, Margalla Avenue on Monday.

Margalla Avenue will link M-1 to Murree Road, and under the first phase, it will connect GT Road with E-10 and Constitution Avenue as well, Senator Faisal Javed said in a tweet on Monday.

He noted that the project was part of the Master Plan of Islamabad prepared in 1960 but it could not be constructed yet, adding that Capital Development Authority is initiating work on this project.

CDA issued tenders for Margalla Avenue

11-2-2021: Well the game is alraedy changed. Prices in C-16, C-15, C-13 and D-13 jumped 50 to 70 % in last few months.

 

News 27-1-2021 :  Margalla Road Construction To Begin At Last.

Margalla Avenue which is stalled due to dispute between CDA and contractor will be game changer for Islamabad real estate after it is completed. As this avenue will give direct access into heart of Islamabad for traffic coming from KPK the plot prices will sky rocket in Sectors C-16, C-15, C-14, D-14, D-13, D-12, E-12, and in E-11. B-17 which is situated directly opposite the point where Margalla avenue is starting on G.T road will also get a price jump. I have notices some very prudent and experienced investors silently buying plots in sectors lined on Margalla Avenue in a hope to hit jackpot one day.

The investors believe that as soon as Margalla Avenue is opened, prices of plots will increase by 40 per cent.

With the CDA announcing to re-award the contract for construction of almost 8.5 kilometer long road patch of the Margalla Avenue, B-17’s distance from central parts of Islamabad will be reduced by half. At the moment, the society is mainly accessed from the GT Road (N-5). In addition to that, related working is underway for construction of a dedicated interchange for the society on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1). All of these factors combined with the fact that society is home to a number of families now and the developer is constantly acquiring more land, with plans to launch more blocks in the future, everything about B-17 is in place to make it a tempting project for investment.

Margalla Avenue aka Khayaban-e-Margalla would run along the foothills of Margalla Hills and will connect Sector B-17 (the G.T. Road a little on the south of the Nicholson Monument) to Sector E-11 (11th Avenue and Khayaban-e-Iqbal). This road would also allow an easy approach to the New Islamabad International Airport.

It will be a 16-kilometre, four-lane road which is 48 feet wide each side with a 20-foot median (green belt) running in between. Once completed, it will facilitate the travellers heading towards Islamabad from the Northern parts of the country to reach the heart of the city within 10 minutes. It will also facilitate those who have to commute daily from areas like Taxila, Wah Cantt, Hassan Abdal, Haripur to various parts of the federal capital.

We have news this project may be extended from GT Road to Murree Expressway in a bid to allow Murree-bound vehicles coming from the motorway and GT Road to bypass Islamabad. The first portion includes the construction of a road from GT Road to Sector D-12, the second starts from D-12 and culminates at Constitution Avenue after passing through the E and F series of sectors, while the third portion involves the construction of a road from Constitution Avenue to Murree Expressway.

As per “DAWN” Nespaper latest news 22 January 2020

“For decades, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to construct Margalla Avenue, a bypass road envisioned in the capital’s master plan. In its absence, residents of Islamabad have seen growing traffic congestion on its existing alternative, Khayaban-i-Iqbal.

Known as Margalla Road among residents, Khayaban-i-Iqbal is one of the capital’s most iconic thoroughfares, framed on one side by the Margalla Hills and the F sectors – for which it is actually a service road – on the other.

Clockwise from top: Traffic congestion is a routine matter on Margalla Road, the link road leading to Sangjani from Shah Allah Ditta in D-12, abandoned Margalla Avenue which starts from G.T. Road and the signboard shows various residential sectors in the area. — Photos by Mohammad Asim

It currently bears the traffic load of the proposed Margalla Avenue, resulting in congestion and prolonged waits at traffic signals, particularly in front of the Naval and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) complexes and the intersection with 7th Avenue.

“We have to suffer every day, particularly during office timings. The current road is insufficient to bear the level of traffic; the CDA should build new roads in accordance with the current needs,” said Mujtaba Ali,who lives in the capital.

Another resident, Mohammad Kamran, said commuters also find traffic at Shaheen Chowk and Zafar Chowk because of the many educational institutions in the area.

Failure to execute Margalla Avenue project has aggravated the capital’s traffic situation

Margalla Road is lined by Bahria University, National Defence University, Air University, Bahria College, the PAF Foundation schools and many other private institutions. On the other side of F-8, one of the sectors along the road, are the district courts, visited by lawyers and litigants who also use this road.

“Travelling on various major avenues in Islamabad has become cumbersome because of the increased traffic and the absence of road sense in the public,” remarked Mubarik Elahi, who has lived in the capital since 1976. “Margalla Road is no exception, as many important defence installations and universities are located on this avenue. It takes a lot of patience to travel on this road during peak hours.”

A CDA official denied that there was any serious traffic congestion on Margalla Road, except for its intersections with Faisal Avenue and 9th Avenue. Instead, he attributed the problem to parking violations and the number of educational institutions along the road.

Another official said that back in 2015, a study was carried out by Nespak to determine the traffic load on Margalla Road between 7th Avenue and Faisal Avenue which found that 32,000 vehicles run on the road.

But the CDA has no data on the portion between the 7th Avenue and 9th Avenue intersections, he added.

The official said: “We are planning to introduce smart signals on this road to overcome the issue.”

Some CDA officials have estimated that around 50,000 motorists use the road every day. They said that the burgeoning traffic issue could only be addressed by constructing two underpasses on Margalla Road, at the Faisal Avenue and 9th Avenue intersections. The authority does not currently plan to build either.

The issue could easily be addressed by building underpasses, Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz – who has no role in the development of Islamabad’s road infrastructure – said.

“Being mayor, I have been receiving complaints about traffic congestion at certain points on Margalla Road, which is in fact a service road. I myself reside along the road and I personally know that the road has been facing traffic congestion during school timings because of the increase in educational institutions and vehicles. The problem should be addressed through the construction of underpasses,” he said.

An Islamabad Traffic Police spokesperson said that while there is traffic congestion in certain areas during school timings, it is manned efficiently by the police.

The forgotten avenue

The proposed Margalla Avenue divides Zone III to its north from Zone I and II to the south. Under the city’s master plan, it would begin from the G.T. Road, passing through the foothills of the Margallas to Constitution Avenue and onwards, to Bari Imam and the Bhara Kahu Jugi stop where it would connect to Murree Road.

The CDA began a project to build this avenue from the G.T. Road to D-12 seven years ago. The work stalled a few years later because of lack of planning; the project had been initiated without conducting a survey and upon reaching Shah Allah Ditta, the road hit a century-old graveyard and shrine.

CDA engineers said that the alignment of the road should have been cleared before the project began but the authority initiated it in haste. The nine kilometre road has not been completed since.

According to its PC-I, the Rs588 million project was supposed to be completed by 2013. The CDA and the contractor are currently in court, with the contractor seeking compensation from the authority on the grounds that it was the CDA’s fault that the contractor was unable to complete the project and that the contractor’s machinery had remained stuck for years. A court arbitrator fined the CDA Rs170m, which the authority challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

Four of the CDA’s planned and acquired residential sectors – C-13, 14, 15 and 16 – as well as the developed D-12, depend on this avenue.

Another portion of the avenue has also technically been built. Margalla Road culminates in F-15, from where there is an alignment of the road up to Constitution Avenue.

“Technically speaking, Margalla Avenue exists in Islamabad in the small portion from F-5 to Constitution Avenue,” a CDA engineer explained.

He added that a 2km portion of the avenue north of Constitution Avenue towards Bari Imam was also constructed in the late 90s or early 2000s. But this portion, which connects to 4th Avenue crossing the rear of Prime Minister House, has not been carpeted and is now abandoned.

CDA officials said that whenever the authority decides, the existing portion of the avenue will be connected to Murree Road at the Bhara Kahu Jugi stop.

The CDA acquired land for the avenue in the 60s, they added, so there is no land acquisition issue.

“With some alteration in the avenue’s alignment it can be constructed to provide a direct link to traffic coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country to Murree and Kashmir,” an official said.

CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed said that they are discussing various proposals for the construction of the avenue.

“I have already told the concerned directorate to resume work on a portion from the G.T. Road to D-12, where work was halted because of a dispute between the contractor and the CDA,” he said.

For immediate relief, he added, the CDA is in the process of installing sensor-based smart signals on Margalla Road to ease traffic congestion. He said: “We will also examine if underpasses are needed.”

In the future, the planned avenue will connect to a ring road around Islamabad that will begin from Bhara Kahu and culminate towards Rawat, Mr Ahmed said.

Sources in the CDA said that the realignment of a portion of the road is also being considered because of its proximity to armed forces’ installations. They said that the commission formed to revise Islamabad’s master plan discussed the matter and decided to leave the matter up to consultants that will be hired to carry out comprehensive revisions.

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