ISLAMABAD: Even though two major road projects in the federal capital are stalled due to funding and related issues, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to build 16th and 17th avenues seemingly to provide easy access to the model prison, proposed health tower in H-16, and other sectors.

In its ambitious statement, the CDA recently announced that it was going to start the construction of 16th and 17th avenues with a service road, a step which is a question mark on the CDA priorities. It may be noted that the under-construction 10th Avenue is already facing a delay and the proposed 11th Avenue project, whose foundation stone was laid down by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his first stint in June last year, is yet to be started.

Despite these unfinished projects, the CDA is keen to take on more.

“16th and 17th avenues are just announced and we will move forward after detailed designing. These projects are imperative as the model jail project in Sector H-16 and other residential sectors will be easily accessible through these roads,” said CDA Public Relations Deputy Director Kamran Aslam. The CDA official said that the 10th Avenue project was a federal government project whereas the work on 11th Avenue design was underway. “All projects are important and we will get all these completed on a priority basis,” he said.

Official says consultant for 11th Avenue to be hired soon; health tower to be built in H-16

10th Avenue

The multi-billion under-construction 10th Avenue is likely to face cost escalation. Some months ago, contractor National Logistic Cell (NLC) had requested the CDA for a price adjustment formula, stating that its quoted bid rates were practically no longer viable.

The Rs10.2 billion project was launched in 2022 through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) by the CDA and it was supposed to be completed in March this year, but it missed the deadline and December 2024 was fixed as a new deadline. Officials, however, feared that the deadline would be missed as only 35 per cent of the work had been done. According to the CDA officials, the government had released around Rs4 billion only and for fiscal year 2024-25, it earmarked only Rs400 million for this project.

A few months ago, the NLC informed the CDA that inadequate and piecemeal fund allocations were one of the main reasons for the delay. “We are not against the construction of 16th and 17th avenues; besides focusing on them, Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa through the interior minister should make every effort to get funding from the federal government for the 10th Avenue project,” a CDA official said, adding that the construction of 11th Avenue should also be started without any further delay,” said an official of CDA.

The 10th Avenue project was started by the PTI government. Initially, the government had earmarked over Rs1 billion, but in the fiscal year 2022-23 only Rs350 million were set aside for it. Then the PDM government released Rs1.3 billion and in the fiscal year 2023-24 only Rs400 million were earmarked. For this fiscal year, Rs400m was allocated.

The project has two phases: in the first phase (currently underway), a 5km road is being constructed from Katarian Bridge on I.J.P Road to Srinagar Highway near the intersection of G-9 and G-10. In the future, the second phase will be constructed from Srinagar Highway to Margalla Road.

11th Avenue

In June last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of 11th Avenue, however, the CDA failed to finalise the design for the project, let alone the construction work.

A CDA official said that the civic agency was all set to engage a consultant for the detailed design of the project.

To a query, he said that the 16th and 17th avenues were also important as these two roads would provide easy access to Sector I-15, I-16, I-17, and the model prison.

The official said the health tower announced by the prime minister would be constructed in H-16.

“We have already earmarked 600 kanal for the construction of the health tower in H-16,” he said, adding that the CDA was equally focusing on such public welfare projects.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024