Another Day Another Delay: CDA Chairman’s Islamabad Expressway Promise Unfulfilled

In early June, Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner and CDA Chairman, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, confidently announced on X (formerly Twitter) that several construction projects would be completed by August 14th. However, this promise, like many others before it, was not fulfilled. The deadline came and went, leaving residents frustrated as other projects continued to drag on, worsening daily commutes.

Randhawa had specifically mentioned the expansion and widening of the Islamabad Expressway from Koral to T-Chowk on GT Road. He claimed that the entire project, including the road, Soan Bridge, and Bhandar Bridge, would be finished by August 14th. Despite these assurances, the situation on the ground is different, with significant work still pending. Sources indicate that it will take about three more months to complete the project.

CDA Director of Public Relations, Shahid Kiani, clarified that the official deadline for the project is September 30th, and they are working to complete it before this date. He also mentioned that 98% of the road work had been completed and assured that the project would be fully operational before the September 30th deadline.

It’s important to note that September 30th is not the original deadline; it was already extended. The CDA awarded a Rs. 10.9 billion contract to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for the rehabilitation and expansion of a seven-kilometer section of the expressway from PWD Interchange to GT Road in Rawat in September 2022. The project was initially expected to be completed by March 20, 2024.