28 kilometre-long expressway connecting mainland Islamabad with Rawat to now cost Rs 21 billion
Expansion of Islamabad Expressway is the poster project of CDA and the authority is currently working on it. The project includes the widening, upgradation and expansion of Islamabad Highway which according to the official press release will cost Rs 21 billion (tentatively) and will be completed in four phases.
The first phase of expansion from Zero Point to Faizabad was opened back in January this year for the commuters. Once the project is completed in its entirety, it will be 24 kilometres long; will have five lanes, and dual carriageway signal free corridor of Islamabad Highway.
The pace of work on remaining three phases has failed to gain momentum in recent months. Furthermore, Koral Interchange, a pivotal intersection for the project, is taking more time than usual and delays in its completion are imminent.
When contacted by Pakistan Today, the CDA officials said that the widening of Islamabad expressway was direly needed as the recurrent traffic jams during rush hours, road congestion, and prolonged delays during commute were causing difficulties to many on a daily basis.
However, some believe that the multi-billion rupees project of expansion of Islamabad expressway has an ulterior motive as well, which is to cater to the elite living in various societies in Zone-V.
The people in the know say that the billions of rupees spent on the project will provide the much-needed respite to the dwindled down real estate market. The prices had crashed and the whole property scene of housing societies in the capital is in slumber. The mighty tycoons, sturdy barons, and stakeholders saw their redemption in a multi-billion, government-sponsored infrastructure development of highway. What they asked, the government delivered and all of this is being peddled as a step forward towards the greater good of masses.
Ghulam Muhammad, who travels daily from Rawat to Islamabad to his work place, said, “Whether 40 minutes or 14 minutes, I have to pay the same price for the bus ticket. For me, money is money and I have ample time. The expansion will improve the lives of those who have their own bikes and cars, whereas, for people like me, two lanes, five lanes or 10 lanes matter little.”
The signal-free corridor of Islamabad expressway is a naked display of doling out favours to estate tycoons and land developers on one hand. On the other hand, the undue delay is raising the cost of the whole project with each passing day.
The writer seems upset that govt is investing in roads to ease travel headaches of thousands of commuters living in Zone v societies. He seem to have no issues with other infrastructure projects in the city. Maybe his inlaws live in Zone 5 and a signal free road will reduce their travel time and increase frequency is the core reason of his grief.
What a pathetic article. Try experiencing the pain of daily commuters on this route before writing such crap.
First part was informative, the second was a column filler and a waste of time. I doubt there was much effort made in constructing this potshot, due to the lack of evidence and structured argument. This is the main access to Islamabad and the infrastructure requires expansion to meet the growth in population. We are talking about the capital city after all.
ShahNawaz saab, you are unfortunately a law graduate, not an environmental science graduate else your views would have been different.
Besides time saving, there was another major factor being time spent by vehicles on traffic lights adding more CO2 emissions to environment.
Not all making use of road is elite class of zone 5 they alone may make up 6-8% of total commuters making use of that road on daily basis
Shahnawaz, perhaps you should travel one day during peak hour to see how it affects the rest of us. The two-lane road is dilapidated, full of trucks and if one breaks down what is already a long commute is delayed even further. I've spent 90 minutes on what is normally a 30 minute commute. Simply isn't catering to the elite but people who can't afford to live in Islamabad but have to commute regularly there for work. And as someone else said the road provides access to the capital. Please don't write if you can't make a coherent argument!
If building roads is for the elite then God help the writer — a budding journalist and law student -has no clue what effect better infrastructure has on the society. Roads have to be built according the load requirements. Islamabad Expressway is a key artery for not only the residents of the area but also for traffic coming from other cities from GT Road. It is full of goods truck and other heavy and light vehicles. CDA must complete the signal free corridor as soon as possible. The writer should consider dropping journalism as his profession.
"The writer should consider dropping journalism as his profession. " rather writer should consider visit a doctor for his mental health assessment ..
Islamabad express way shall complete no matter what….this project is for everyone, those who say its only for elite should see a doctor!!
🙂 Too much criticism on writer … very bad … At least try to give him a second thought. You might get the half of what he wrote.
Its not that this project is good or bad. but the way PML work is they always do projects for making big kickbacks. For PML cleaning drinking water, Education, Health, Safety of common people, Police reforms are not important as they are not poster project neither create big publicity and less attractive from kickbacks perspective. However, all civil and construction projects are great to show-off/poster and big commissions.
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