Islamabad Expressway demolitions have cleared 124 structures between Sohan and Khanna Bridge, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said on Saturday, as work continues on a major road-widening project along the Service Road (East). The authority has also sealed 58 buildings in the area.
The authority said on Saturday that more than 28 per cent of the project, stretching about 9.3 kilometres from Faizabad to Gulberg, had been completed, Dawn reported. The project envisages a dual carriageway with three lanes on each side to improve traffic flow and provide better access to residential areas along the Expressway.
According to the CDA, excavation and work on the sub-grade and sub-base layers are progressing on different sections. Construction of an underpass, a key component of the project, is also under way, with all 153 piles completed. Work on culverts for bridges and drainage facilities was also continuing, the authority said.
Enforcement targets building violations
“The enforcement operation is targeting illegal constructions, encroachments, unauthorised commercial activities and violations of building control regulations in the vicinity of the service road,” a spokesperson said.
He said CDA Chairman and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Sohail Ashraf had directed officials to ensure uniform enforcement of building by-laws, land-use regulations and mandatory fire safety requirements.
He said construction quality should not be compromised and called for transparency and adherence to quality standards during the execution of the project. Mr Ashraf said completion of the service road would help ease traffic congestion on the Islamabad Expressway, reduce commuters’ travel time and fuel consumption and improve travelling facilities for residents of adjoining areas.
The CDA claimed that work has been progressing simultaneously on all sections of the project.
Islamabad Expressway demolitions: the numbers behind the operation
The figures mark a step forward from the position reported in late October. On October 23, the CDA had said it sealed 58 buildings and identified 377 structures, including 281 commercial buildings, for legal action along the Expressway. Of those, 124 structures between Sohan and Khanna Bridge had been marked for demolition.
The operation had by then generated recoveries of Rs250.59 million, while a further amount of around Rs3 billion remained payable under the relevant rules and regulations. The latest update confirms that the 124 structures marked for demolition have now been brought down, and that the road project itself has passed the quarter mark.
The Expressway is one of the busiest roads in the capital, carrying traffic between Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as commuters from the housing societies along its length. Congestion at its interchanges is a daily complaint, and the service road is meant to take local traffic off the main carriageway.
Part of a wider clearance drive
The Expressway operation sits within the CDA’s wider campaign against encroachments on government land. On October 30, the authorities demolished the Khanna Police Station building, which stood on the greenbelt along the same Expressway. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi supervised that operation, and the police station was shifted to a temporary location while a new legal site was allocated for its building.
The same campaign has reached the Bari Imam locality, where the CDA sealed a house opposite the shrine and now plans to challenge the court order that told it to de-seal the premises. It has also divided the city into zones for waste collection covering 1.1 million residents, while the Margalla Avenue extension is set to finish weeks early.
For commuters, the test will be whether the widened service road actually moves. Intercity bus fares have already been cut by 5 per cent after fuel prices fell, and petrol has dropped to Rs346 a litre in the fifth straight cut. Cheaper travel helps, but only if the road itself flows. The CDA says work is progressing on all sections at once. Residents along the route will judge that claim by the traffic outside their doors.
Frequently asked questions
How many structures have been demolished along the Expressway?
The CDA has sealed 58 buildings and demolished 124 structures between Sohan and Khanna Bridge along the Islamabad Expressway Service Road (East).
How far has the road project progressed?
More than 28 per cent of the 9.3-kilometre project from Faizabad to Gulberg has been completed. The underpass has had all 153 of its piles completed, and work on culverts and drainage is continuing.
What will the finished road look like?
The project envisages a dual carriageway with three lanes on each side, designed to improve traffic flow and provide better access to residential areas along the Expressway.
How does this compare with October?
On October 23, the CDA said 377 structures had been identified for action, including 281 commercial buildings, and 124 had been marked for demolition. The latest update confirms those 124 have now been demolished, with Rs250.59 million recovered and around Rs3 billion still payable.
