CDA launches Rs5.07bn Six-Lane Road project from Faizabad to Koral Chowk

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has accelerated plans to construct a new six-lane carriageway along Service Road East, approving a project worth Rs5.072 billion

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has accelerated plans to construct a new six-lane carriageway along Service Road East, approving a project worth Rs5.072 billion aimed at easing chronic traffic congestion on the Islamabad Expressway and improving connectivity between Faizabad and Koral Chowk.

The 9.25-kilometre road will run parallel to the Islamabad Expressway, extending from Faizabad to Koral Chowk near Gulberg Housing Society. Once completed, the new corridor is expected to provide motorists with an alternative route, reducing travel time on one of the capital’s busiest transport arteries while facilitating smoother traffic movement for commuters travelling to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Officials said the project forms part of the CDA’s broader strategy to upgrade the capital’s road infrastructure in response to increasing traffic volumes and rapid urban expansion in surrounding residential and commercial areas.

According to official sources, the new carriageway is expected to improve access to several housing societies and neighbourhoods located along the eastern side of the Islamabad Expressway. Authorities believe the project will not only ease traffic bottlenecks but also stimulate commercial development by increasing the value of properties and attracting new businesses along the corridor.

To facilitate construction, the CDA has earmarked approximately Rs500 million for the relocation of critical utility infrastructure. This includes fibre-optic networks operated by the Islamabad Police Safe City Project, the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), and the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO).

Sources said extensive utility shifting will be required before the main construction work can proceed at full pace. The project involves relocating 11kV electricity distribution lines, shifting 242 electricity poles, and relocating 248 graves that fall within the road alignment. Earthwork activities have already begun at selected locations.

The road project also incorporates environmental protection measures. Officials said engineers have planned the preservation of 22 underground water channels, natural streams, and stormwater drains located along the proposed route to minimise environmental disruption and maintain the area’s natural drainage system.

A breakdown of utility relocation costs shows that around Rs406 million has been allocated for IESCO infrastructure, Rs87.3 million for shifting Safe City fibre-optic networks, and approximately Rs6 million for relocating SPD facilities. Work on these utility relocation components is expected to commence after the completion of technical and administrative formalities.

A senior CDA official said the authority has revised the project’s completion timeline, reducing the original target of 12 months to between six and eight months. However, the official acknowledged that the timely relocation of utilities remains the biggest hurdle and will largely determine whether the revised deadline can be achieved.