Construction of the Margalla Avenue extension linking Islamabad to the motorway has reached 35 per cent completion, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has said, with work continuing around the clock on the road and the Sangjani Interchange.

The project extends Margalla Avenue from the N-5 highway to the M-1 motorway. CDA Chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf reviewed progress during a visit to the site on Sunday and directed the departments concerned to remove bottlenecks so the work finishes within the stipulated timeframe.

What has been built so far

According to officials, work on widening and extending the main road, covering about 2.7 kilometres, is progressing alongside construction of the service road. Structural work on the underpass at the Sangjani Interchange has been completed, and piling for the abutments on both sides of the N-5 Interchange Bridge has also been finished.

Four of the project's five culverts have been completed, while work on the remaining one is under way. Construction of the loops and ramps at the interchange is also continuing.

Ashraf expressed satisfaction with the pace of work and directed officials to ensure that construction met the required standards of speed, quality and transparency.

Completion expected within weeks

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who inspected the site near Sangjani late on Thursday night, said the project connecting Margalla Avenue to the motorway would be completed within the next few weeks, well ahead of its official April deadline.

During the inspection, the CDA chairman briefed the minister that active construction included piling for the proposed interchange bridge, foundation excavation, concrete pouring for retaining and abutment walls, earthwork and preparation of the road's sub-base. Priority is also being given to relocating utility lines and clearing sites so that sections previously delayed by land or technical problems can resume without interruption.

Why the link matters

The road link is expected to improve access to Islamabad for commuters travelling from within and outside the capital, particularly those arriving from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It will also serve travellers from Abbottabad, Mansehra and adjoining areas, and provide improved connectivity to Islamabad International Airport.

Naqvi said the new interchange would offer relief to commuters travelling from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as those heading towards the airport by allowing traffic to flow more smoothly between the city and the motorway network.

The minister was accompanied during the Thursday night inspection by the CDA chairman, the Inspector General of Islamabad Police and senior technical officials. The project, which includes one underpass and one interchange along its 2.7-kilometre length, is intended to give Islamabad residents an alternative route to the motorway and to ease pressure on the existing links into the capital.