ISLAMABAD: The survey and alignment for a new road connecting Margalla Avenue to the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) have been completed, according to media reports.
As per the reports, the project requires acquiring about 181 kanals of land. The road, spanning 3.4 km, includes 1.8 km in Rawalpindi and 1.6 km in Islamabad. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will construct it.
Media sources said a previous alignment was adjusted to avoid impacting houses. The ICT Revenue Department and CDA’s land directorate have finished the pre-award acquisition process, and compensation rates will be announced soon.
Construction is expected to take eight months once started. The CDA’s engineering wing will begin work after receiving approval. Of the 181 kanals, 51 kanals are in Sangjani (Islamabad), and 130 kanals are in Badana Kurd (mostly Rawalpindi).
CDA’s Member Engineering, Syed Nafasat Raza, said the road will help maximize the use of Margalla Avenue. “Land acquisition is ongoing, and construction will start once it’s complete,” he told private media.
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The CDA approved the Rs5.45 billion project, covering construction and land acquisition, in August 2023. A CDA working paper noted that Margalla Avenue’s full potential depends on its connection to M-1.
The project includes a six-lane road to provide an alternative route for commuters traveling between Islamabad and GT Road (N-5).
In 2021, former Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the CDA to develop the Islamabad portion and the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to handle the Rawalpindi section. Later, the PDM government assigned the Rawalpindi portion to the National Highway Authority (NHA).
Margalla Avenue currently runs from E-11 to GT Road in Sangjani. The new 5-km road will extend it.
According to Islamabad’s master plan, Margalla Avenue was meant to start at Murree Road near Bhara Kahu and end at GT Road, passing through the Margalla foothills.
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However, the section from F-5 to E-11 along the foothills has not been built. The current route from F-5 to E-11 uses Khayban-i-Iqbal, originally a service road.
In another development, Following approval by President Asif Ali Zardari, the government has published the gazette notification for the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.
The ordinance seeks to safeguard the rights of affected landowners in the federal capital by ensuring fair compensation through monetary payments, land allocation, or other methods decided by the Authority.
The amended CDA Ordinance, 1960, allows compensation to be provided via cash, land sharing, or other means as determined by the CDA. The Deputy Commissioner of the CDA will announce the compensation awards.
The ordinance permits the Deputy Commissioner to issue separate awards: one for the land and another for any buildings or structures on it.
