ISLAMABAD: The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on Tuesday mobilised its machinery to start work on the construction of Margalla Road, groundbreaking of which was performed by Prime Minister Imran Khan last month.

Reference: Kashif Abbasi (May 19th, 2021) FWO mobilises machinery to start work on Margalla Road, Islamabad, Pakistan: Dawn News.

After approval by the federal cabinet, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) hired the services of FWO for the project. CDA officials said FWO had mobilised its machinery and was all set to start the construction work from Sangjani.

A few months ago, the CDA had called tenders worth Rs970 million for the 10 km portion of the road from Sangjani to Shah Allah Ditta, D-12. But later, the civic agency cancelled the tenders and decided to get the project executed through the FWO on a single tender basis.

On the recommendations of the CDA board, the federal cabinet allowed the civic agency to engage the FWO as several defence installations fall along the proposed alignment of the road.

“Today, the FWO moved its machinery to start Margalla Road and you can say the work has started,” CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed told Dawn.

CDA wants to engage FWO for two more projects

He said the FWO will start the construction from Sangjani side and then from the edge of Constitution Avenue towards Bari Imam.

The 35-km-long Margalla Road was part of the master plan of Islamabad. It starts from GT Road near Sangjani and culminates at Bhara Kahu. However, the civic agency has decided to execute the project in two phases. The first phase comprises construction of the road from Sangjani to D-12 and then from the edge of Constitution Avenue to Satra Meel after bypassing Bhara Kahu.

From D-12 to Constitution Avenue, the existing Khayaban-i-Iqbal will serve as a linkage between both the northern and eastern parts of Margalla Road.

In the second phase, the CDA will construct the road from D-12 to Constitution Avenue.

Sources in the CDA said earthwork on six of the 10 km road of the northern side near Sangjani was already done by a former contractor and this portion will be completed within a year.

From the edge of Constitution Avenue to Bari Imam, earthwork on the road is also done and the FWO will soon start the construction work there too.

Meanwhile, the design/alignment of the remaining portion from Bari Imam/Quaid-i-Azam University to Satra Meel will be finalised by the engineer-in-chief branch.

The sources said FWO officials and CDA board members held a meeting to discuss various aspects of the road, mainly a century-old graveyard near Shah Allah Ditta, which falls in the alignment of the road.

Two options were discussed either to tilt the road towards the north to avoid the graveyard or to construct a flyover there. Sources said around 700 feet area of the graveyard falls in the alignment of the road and for tilting the road towards the north CDA will have to acquire 16 kanals from the locals. Sources said the CDA was likely to approve the tilting option but a final decision will be taken in a few days.

Meanwhile, the CDA board wants to get two more projects — 10th Avenue and expansion and rehabilitation of I.J.P Road — on a single tender basis. CDA officials said there are certain strategic/defence communication infrastructure and installations in various portions of the alignment of the roads. Therefore, the civic agency should be allowed to execute these two projects on a single tender basis.

The 10th Avenue, which is approximately nine-km long, will start from I.J. Principal Road near Khayaban stop and will end at the junction of Khayaban-i-Iqbal.

The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) board will decide the fate of the two projects on Wednesday (today).

On April 1, PPRA board had allowed the CDA to get Margalla Road, Alipur Frash Town apartments scheme and Ghazi Barotha water supply project executed on a single tender basis.

But the board denied approval of the two road projects. Now both the cases have been resubmitted for review as CDA says execution of the two projects required to be accomplished on a fast track basis through the FWO.