The Park Road Extension project, delayed for eight months, now has a new completion deadline of August 31. The Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s Works Department has tasked the contractor with finishing the construction by August 25.
Despite earlier decisions to avoid selling valuable CDA-owned plots to cover future costs, 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 directed to take swift action to facilitate this auction.
The Park Road Extension project, with an estimated cost of Rs. 1.7 billion, has 70% of the work completed, as per 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 unfinished, with two kilometres on the Rawal Roadside towards Taramri Chowk and one kilometre on the opposite side. CDA’s Works Department sources believe that by working in double shifts, the remaining work could be finished in six days, allowing the road to be operational by the deadline.
During the CDA board’s 11th meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Chairman Randhawa, the re-auction of commercial plots was approved on an urgent 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. These include studies to use water from Khanpur Dam through the CPEC route and transport it to the Sangjani Treatment Plant via a pipeline. Additionally, feasibility studies for the construction of Shahdara Dam and Chiniot Dam in Islamabad were also approved.