Islamabad: Work has started on an 8.5-kilometre road being constructed in place of the existing service road along the eastern side of Islamabad Expressway, with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) planning to earmark a commercial strip for a potential Blue Area-type commercial area.
The six-lane road will connect Faizabad with Gulberg Green and include a flyover linking it with Islamabad Expressway at Faizabad, as well as an underpass at the junction of Letrar Road and Khanna Bridge.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, during a visit to the project site, directed the CDA to fast-track construction and complete the project within a few months instead of the one-year timeline set in the PC-I.
The CDA recently awarded the project to M/s Leimar, which submitted a bid 13% below the PKR6 billion Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) cost.
According to CDA officials, the road survey has been completed, while clearing work is underway and utility services are being shifted before proper construction work begins.
The CDA’s planning wing will work to earmark a commercial strip along the service road for development as a Blue Area-type commercial area. The civic agency expects to generate billions of PKR through the auction of plots in the proposed commercial area.
The project is expected to benefit dozens of residential communities and ease traffic congestion and pressure on Islamabad Expressway, while making travel easier and faster for residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The interior minister directed the authorities to ensure that the project is completed with due attention to speed, quality and transparency.
Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market’s most promising opportunities.
