The construction work on 7th Avenue Islamabad started on October 2021 and was expected to be completed in Oct 2022. It was the right speculation because the work has been completed and the speedy beautification work is going on. At the final stage, the Chairman CDA directed the project team to do a detailed survey and plant trees by identifying suitable places around the project.
CDA (Capital Development Authority) first considered FWO and NLC for the 7th Avenue Project and NLC (National Logistics Cell) won it by bidding the lowest estimate of 1.5 Billion. The project includes two parts; a) an underpass at the junction of 7th Avenue and Khayaban-e-Soharwardi and b) a flyover at the junction of 7th Avenue and Kashmir Highway. It has 4 corresponding loops to make the traffic flow smooth for daily commuters and visitors. This interchange is constructed near 7th Avenue, Khayaban-e-Soharwardi, Srinagar Highway, and Abpara intersecting 7th Avenue and Green Avenue. It is shaped like a cloverleaf with 4 loops on the left and right.
The loops and flyover are now open to the public and the underpass shall soon be opened for public use. The carpeting is also finalized on all the sections including loops, flyover, and bypass.
Map Review
7th Avenue Interchange was planned due to congested roads and routine traffic jams for the working folks and students of several universities and colleges passing through 7th Avenue, Kashmir Highway, Srinagar Highway, Khayaban-e-Soharwardi, and Aabpara. The peak traffic jams were usually in the morning, afternoon, and evening due to the timings of offices, schools, universities, and especially the Aabpara market is hard to reach. It especially facilitates the people heading towards Murree and New International Airport to reach there faster than before.
Now, the traffic flow on Srinagar Highway, Zero point, 7th Avenue, Khayaban-e-Soharwardi, and Aabpara will be smooth because of vehicle distribution via loops, bypass, and flyover on the 7th Avenue Interchange.
People’s Reaction
Residents of the nearby area were not disturbed during the whole construction process. Now the motorcyclists and drivers are enjoying the smooth flow of traffic on the 7th Avenue Interchange. But they highlighted the problem of road congestion and traffic jams near Serena Hotel and requested Chairman CDA to resolve the issue. They also asked to speed up the construction work on other points like the 10th Avenue Project, Islamabad Expressway, Rawal Lake Flyover, and PWD Interchange, and for the development in other important sectors.
