ISLAMABAD: If all goes according to plan, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) board in its upcoming meeting will give approval to appoint consultants for two road projects: Serena Interchange and an interchange at the convergence of Jinnah and 9th Avenues.

These two sites are sources of constant traffic jams, particularly during rush hours. The CDA has been making announcements for several years; however, work on these projects could not start.

Officials of the engineering wing told Dawn that before calling tenders for the construction work, the design of both projects will be made by professional consultants.

They said both projects are part of the agenda items of the upcoming board meeting, which was supposed to be held on June 22, but later postponed. Now, officials said that the meeting will be held soon and take up summaries of these two projects for hiring consultants.

Board to take up Serena Interchange, PTCL Chowk projects at upcoming meeting

The consultants would prepare detailed engineering designs and supervise the construction of both projects. “I guess, detailed engineering design work would be completed within two months then we will go for tendering. These two projects are priority projects and we are going to allocate adequate funding for these projects in CDA’s budget 2024-25, which will be passed soon,” said a CDA engineer.

Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also directed the CDA to start these two projects as soon as possible. The Serena Interchange project was about to start last year but at the eleventh hour, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (during his first stint) refused to inaugurate it, as he had sought a detailed briefing about the construction firm which had won the contract. Later, his government completed its tenure and the bid validity period also expired. This time around, the CDA is going for fresh tendering and design of the project as well.

Last year, the CDA wanted to construct a flyover and an underpass at Serena Chowk, however, officials of the engineering wing said that the civic agency wanted two underpasses – one each on Khyaban-i-Suharwardi and Srinagar Highway. However, the final decision would be made by the consultant.

Traffic from different routes, including Constitution Avenue, Khayaban-i-Suharwardi, Club Road (Murree Road), Srinagar Highway, and Attaturk Avenue converge on this intersection (Serana Chowk), leading to congestion, particularly during peak hours.

According to the CDA officials, once this project is started, the civic agency will try to get it completed in three months. They said that after the completion of this project, Srinagar Highway would become a signal-free corridor.

Like Serena Chowk, the traffic mess at the junction of Jinnah Avenue and 9th Avenue, which is also called PTCL Chowk near F-8, is also a constant problem for motorists. During peak hours, people will have to wait for a long time at the traffic signal, and those whose vehicles do not have air-conditioning fare the worst.

A CDA board member confirmed that both projects were part of the agenda for the upcoming meeting, likely this week. “The board meeting was supposed to be held on June 22, but it was postponed as we wanted to have the participation of all members and currently our two posts, member estate and member environment, are lying vacant. So, we are hopeful these two posts will be filled in the next few days before the board meeting,” he said. He, however, added that the meeting could proceed even without these two members. “ We will get the approval of the board for hiring a consultant for these two projects and after detailed engineering design, we will float tenders to complete them on a priority basis,“ he said.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2024