CDA and NHA will begin work next month on a 5 km Margalla Road link from Islamabad to the M1 Motorway, aimed at easing travel for outer sectors and boosting connectivity.
Five-Kilometre Link to Connect Islamabad with M1 Motorway
The police will begin the process of constructing a new road, which will have a direct connection between Islamabad and M1 Motorway through Margalla Road, next month. The project is approximately five kilometres of new corridor and is being constructed in collaboration with Capital Development Authority (CDA) with National Highway Authority (NHA).
The new connection is meant to provide a quicker, straight forward access to the motorway system to the outer sector residents in the growing Islamabad city. Currently, most commuters are forced to take long, busy routes to access M-1, which increases the amount of time and fuel expenses incurred during their day to day commute. It is projected that the next corridor will reduce the traveling time and ease traffic congestion to major destinations in the north and west.
CDA and NHA to Share Construction Responsibilities
Under the agreed plan, the project has had the key responsibilities distributed between the two main agencies:
- The corridor will be built on 2.7 kilometres of CDA.
- The remaining 2.3 kilometres will be constructed by NHA based on the federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
In its part, NHA has been granted with Rs 6 billion, where in addition to construction, the funds are also to be used in the land acquisition and other developmental expenses. CDA has already obtained permission on its own PC-1 and this ensures that its stretch of the road has budgetary and planning clearance.
This commonality enables the project to take advantage of the local planning expertise that CDA has had in Islamabad and NHA with building and operating of national links of highways. The synchronous effort will be quicker in the delivery process and prevent overlapping the efforts on the design and procurement.
Review Meeting on Margalla Avenue Extension and Interchange Plans
The last review session, chaired by CDA chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, reviewed the ongoing developments of various major development projects in the capital such as the new motorway connection. The senior officials gave elaborate briefings on:
- Margalla Avenue N-5 to M-1 extension.
- The suggested swap at 17 th Avenue in H-16.
As indicated in the briefing, the feasibility study on the H-16 interchange has been done and consultants have completed the initial design. The teams of CDA are currently preparing the PC-1 to pass through their part of the project preparation stages in order to proceed into the formal approval and funding phases.
The chairman instructed team to include all the technical recommendations given by the consultants, finish all the outstanding design changes and progress swiftly to the next level of implementation. He stressed on the fact that there has to be a concerted effort of planning between margins, interchanges and link roads to ensure long-term mobility plan of the city is on track.
Tendering to Be Finalised as Funds Are Released
In the course of the meeting, the Chairman Randhawa also mentioned that the PC-1 of the link road owned by CDA is already approved whereas the NHA portion has received the green light of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP). These approvals being made the two agencies are now ordered to carry out the tendering process within the next one week.
The authorities assured that some portions of funds have already been disbursed and this opened the door to recruit contractors and start work on-site in the next month. Randhawa advised the departmental heads against wastage of time as every step required in the procedures (tendering, awarding of contracts and mobilisation) should be effectively managed.
The chairman also instructed that any administrative, legal or any other land related hindrances be realized and eliminated fast thus so that the construction process can be completed without hindrances upon its commencement.
Better Connectivity for Islamabad’s Outer Sectors
The officials believe that the new connection will be instrumental in alleviating the travel of the residents of the outer sectors of Islamabad, and many of these areas have recorded significant growth in the last few years. The project will:
- Reduce the daily commuters to the motorway.
- Lessen the congestion of already existing roads and crossroads.
- Offer another option of route during peak time or an emergency.
The people living in newly established residential areas, schools and new commercial belts along the corridor would be the greatest beneficers since people will easily access the motorway network and other other highways linking Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa among other places.
Supporting Long-Term Urban Planning and Mobility
Other than the direct travel advantages, Islamabad-M1 linkage is being termed as a significant element of long-term urban planning of the capital. Project called vital to enhancing mobility and future development trends in and around the city has been labeled as important by the chairman Randhawa.
A designed high capacity road to the motorway can assist in spreading traffic more uniformly, facilitate new housing and business developments and ease the traffic congestion in the main city streets. It is also consistent with the larger project to extend Margalla Road and interconnect it with the major national roads.
The fact that the authorities of the federal capital are pushing both CDA and NHA to liaise in order to finalise the tendering and commence work next month is an indication that the development of infrastructure particularly those that enhance connectivity and eliminate congestion is a key priority. It is a better link road that to Islamabad the increasing population will have in the years to come since the new link road will offer a more convenient direct and faster and better-organised way to the M1 Motorway.
