E-11 to D-12 road: Officials hint at delays in project

Changes proposed by mayor cited for road missing January 2017 deadline

ISLAMABAD: Officials working on building Service Road East and North, which connects Sector E-11 to D-12, have hinted that work on the project may face delays owing to changes suggested by the capital’s mayor.

The suggestion was made as Islamabad Mayor and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz visited the construction site in Sector E-11 and D-12 on Friday and inspected the work done.

He directed concerned officials of the civic body to complete construction work in the stipulated time. He said that the new road would not only facilitate residents of Sector D-12 but also become an access road for new sectors such as C-14, C-15 and C-16.

To emphasise the importance of the new road, Aziz said that people who had been allotted plots in Sector D-12, had begun building their houses and soon the traffic flow to the area would spike. Hence, he noted, it was imperative that the road is built as soon as possible.

Moreover, Aziz directed the project director to build slipways at intersections along the Margalla Road to avoid traffic congestion and ensure smooth traffic flow in the area.

The project director was further asked to slightly alter the project design so that issues pertaining to installation of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) lines are considered and that the alterations do not impact the overall cost and the deadline of the project.

Further, Aziz said that the project director must ensure that the road is aligned so that it can be connected with sector D-12.

He added no compromise on the quality of work would be tolerated.

Earlier, Aziz was briefed that the service road being built from Sector E-11 to Sector D-12 was four kilometres long and is expected to be completed at a cost of Rs262 million. He was informed that the project started in April 2016 and was scheduled to be completed later this month.

However, officials told Aziz that to incorporate the changes suggested and issues in alignment, the pace of construction work had been adversely impacted.

The mayor was told about the establishment of the sewerage system, installation of street lights and road sign boards, lane marking, construction of retaining wall and landscaping along the road was also in the scope of the project.

Aziz, though, directed the project director to complete the project as soon as possible. He further directed the director to personally monitor development work and file weekly progress reports.

Earlier on Thursday, Aziz said that development work in Sector D-12 would be restarted.

“We are determined to develop sectors ignored by previous administrations of the capital,” he said while inaugurating development work at D-12 Markaz.

Acknowledging that Sector E-12 had been neglected, he said that, “We are developing a mechanism to clear hurdles in the development of Sector E-12.

He said that concerned officials had been directed to work through the issue of acquiring possession of land and that the long-standing grievances of allottees in the sector would soon be solved with the required funds to be released in a be timely manner.

Aziz directed that landscaping work in the sector should keep pace with development work. Further, he said that parks, grounds and play areas also should be developed simultaneously.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2017.