Park Road project misses another deadline

CDA offers new completion deadline of August 31

ISLAMABAD:

The Park Road Extension project, which has faced an eight-month delay, has been given a new completion deadline of August 31. The Capital Development Authority (CDA)'s Works Department has set a target for the contractor to finish the construction by August 25.

In contrast to the administration's previous announcement not to sell valuable CDA-owned plots to cover future expenses, the CDA board has now approved the re-auction of commercial plots just a month later.

Member State Asfandiar Bhutto and other officials have been instructed to take urgent measures to facilitate the auction.

The Park Road Extension project, estimated to cost Rs1.7 billion, has seen 70 per cent of the work completed, according to CDA sources. The original deadline was July 14, 2024, set by Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa.

Currently, three kilometres of the 7.2-kilometre road remain under construction, with two kilometres on the Rawal Road side towards Taramri Chowk and one kilometre on the opposite side. Sources in CDA's Works Department believe that with double shifts, the remaining work could be completed in six days, making the road operational by the deadline.

The CDA board, chaired by Chairman Randhawa, held its 11th meeting on Tuesday, where the re-auction of commercial plots was approved on an emergency basis, along with the necessary terms and conditions.

The Board also approved several other projects, including a pre-feasibility study with WAPDA for various water supply projects in Islamabad.

This includes studies to utilise water being wasted from Khanpur Dam through the CPEC route and to transport this water to the Sangjani Treatment Plant via a pipeline. Additionally, feasibility studies for the construction of Shahdara Dam and Chiniot Dam in Islamabad were approved.