Residents of the E-11 sector in Islamabad are urging the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to construct an underpass access to Margalla Avenue. This appeal comes in the wake of the contractor requesting an extension of the project completion deadline until December 30.
Five housing societies in E-11 are leading the demand, emphasizing that without the proposed underpass, residents would need to travel an additional one kilometer to reach the roundabout for access to Margalla Road. A resident highlighted a more immediate concern, citing the project’s design as a critical issue that denies the entire sector’s population access to the new road.
Demand for Underpass Access to Margalla Avenue
Previously, E-11 residents filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), prompting the court to direct the CDA to resolve the matter through on-site discussions with the petitioners.
Despite the IHC’s directives in September, residents allege that the CDA has not adhered to the court orders. The IHC had instructed CDA members specializing in planning and engineering to visit the project site for a thorough evaluation of the right of way. The court mandated a hearing opportunity for the petitioners during this visit and ordered the CDA to pass a speaking order within 30 days.
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Residents claim that neither the petitioners have been given hearing opportunities nor has any CDA official visited the site as per the court’s orders.
The residents express willingness for an entry point to the E-11 sector but argue that exiting to Khyaban-i-Iqbal, Margalla Road, and 11th Avenue poses a significant inconvenience, necessitating an additional one-kilometer drive. They are calling on the CDA to construct an underpass at the junction where the double road of E-11 links with Eastern Service Road to provide direct access to Margalla Road.
Role of CDA
CDA officials acknowledged the extra distance residents would have to cover through a roundabout to access certain roads and claimed that an alternate link was being provided by connecting the service road with Khyaban-e-Iqbal. However, they dismissed the residents’ concerns as an exaggerated non-issue.
Responding to the absence of a hearing opportunity for the petitioners, CDA officials cited vacant posts of members planning and engineering, assuring that the Director General of Engineering and Director General Planning would conduct site visits as directed by the court.
Margalla Avenue Project
The road construction project, awarded to National Logistic Cell in December last year at a cost of Rs 4 billion, was initially scheduled for completion by June 20. The deadline was extended to October 30, and now the contractor is seeking a further extension until December 30. CDA officials insist that the project is nearing completion and could be finished by the end of the year, featuring a 5.5-km road from sector D-12 to Khayaban-i-Iqbal in E-11, along with a flyover and an interchange at E-11.
