ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Frontier Works Oraganisation (FWO) have been carrying out a joint survey of Margalla Road before starting the construction work.

Recently, the FWO moved its machinery to the project site near Sangjani, however, formal construction could not be started yet, as both the CDA and FWO are carrying out a joint survey, which is likely to be completed after a week.

“After completion of the survey, the construction work will be started,” said an engineer of CDA.

He said that the joint survey, which is a technical work, is part of construction work as “in fact without joint survey, which is measurement, adjusting road alignment, formal work cannot be started,” the engineer said.

CDA officials said that staff from the land survey department, engineering wing and FWO’s teams were carrying out the joint survey, which will be completed after 10 days.

Earlier, CDA called tenders worth Rs970 million for the 10km Margalla Road from Sangjani to Shah Allah Ditta.

However, later the CDA cancelled the tendering process and after approval of the federal cabinet decided to get the project executed through FWO on single tender basis.

The CDA also decided to expand scope of work and now the Margalla Road will be constructed from G.T. Road Sangjani up to Satra Meel Murree Road bypassing Bhara Kahu.

The 35-km-long Margalla Road was part of the master plan of Islamabad. It starts from G.T. Road near Sangjani and culminates at Bhara Kahu.

However, the civic agency has decided to execute the project in two phases.

The first phase comprises construction of the road from Sangjani to D-12 and then from the edge of Constitution Avenue to Satra Meel after bypassing Bhara Kahu.

From D-12 to Constitution Avenue, the existing Khayaban-i-Iqbal will serve as a link between both the northern and eastern parts of Margalla Road.

In the second phase, the CDA will construct the road from D-12 to Constitution Avenue.

Sources in the CDA said earthwork on six of the 10-km-long road of the northern side near Sangjani had already been done by a former contractor and after completing joint survey the FWO will start proper construction work after few days in this portion.

After completing the road to D-12 area, the sources said, FWO will start work from the edge of the Constitution Avenue.

Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Margalla Road project and sources in CDA said the federal government want to see completion of the project, which will provide relief to people of Islamabad, Murree, AJK and of other parts of the country, before completion of the five-year term of PTI government.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2021