ISLAMABAD: The National Logistics Cell (NLC) has commenced piling work to overhaul I.J. Principal Road.

Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan, besides two other projects, performed groundbreaking of the road’s overhauling project.

CDA officials said after soil testing at four sites, where bridges would be constructed, the NLC, which had been awarded the contract, started preparing the piles. They said fully-fledged work on the project would commence in around a month.

“Soil testing and preparing piles are imperative for such projects before starting proper construction work,” an engineer of the CDA said.

Last month, the contract worth Rs4.9 billion was won by NLC after it submitted the lowest bid. The CDA had invited only government companies to take part in the bidding process.

Rs4.9bn project to be completed in 18 months, official says

The officials said the project, which covers overhauling of the road and its widening with addition to two rigid lanes on each side for heavy vehicles, would be completed in 18 months.

An interchange will be constructed on the busiest intersection of I.J. Principal Road - 9th Avenue and Stadium Road. A flyover will also be built at the intersection of I.J. Principal and Faqir Ipi Road. One bridge each will be constructed at Katarian stop and near Sabzi Mandi, Pirwadhai.

I.J. Principal Road is not an inter-provincial road; rather it was planned as the principal road between two sectors ‘I’ and ‘J’.

The ‘I’ sector falls within Islamabad’s limits while ‘J’, according to the master plan of Islamabad, was to be developed by the Rawalpindi administration.

Later, authorities in Rawalpindi decided not to adopt the master plan. However, this principal road is still known as I.J. Principal Road.

With the passage of time, the road has become a sort of inter-provincial road due to Pirwadhai general bus stand and Sabzi Mandi.

It connects Islamabad with Rawalpindi and is a major road for heavy transport coming from Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The road was not meant for heavy traffic rather it was designed as the principal road dividing ‘I’ and ‘J’ sectors like other roads such as 7th Avenue and 9th Avenue.

But the road has seen heavy traffic for years that resulted in its dilapidated condition with many potholes on its surface causing problems for motorists.

“For heavy vehicles, we are going to construct two rigid lanes on each side of the road whereas the entire road from Faizabad to Peshawar Road will be overhauled,” an officer of the CDA said.

“Apparently, there is no reason for delay in the completion of the project as we have separate funds for it,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2021