Islamabad: The long-awaited “Alexander Road” between Haripur and Islamabad is now about to be built, as reported by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). It is widely anticipated that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would officially open the project and the adjacent Margalla Avenue on Tuesday.
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Informally called “Alexander Road,” the street’s official name has not yet been decided upon. The CDA, so the story goes, has been busy making preparations for the grand opening of the expanded Shah Allah Ditta to Kenthla Road and the brand-new Margalla Avenue.
The 7.5 kilometre road will go as far as the Kenthla Area, with further links to the Haripur area being possible. A CDA engineer has stated that this route will begin within Islamabad proper and terminate close to Kenthla Well, which marks the boundary between Islamabad and Haripur.
In the absence of the CDA bylaw, a CDA official expressed concern that the remaining vegetation in Margalla Hills would be lost to unchecked development. It was also mentioned that powerful people who own property near the route would lobby for a change in building codes.
The aforementioned road, together with other infrastructure improvements totaling about Rs. 2.7 billion, would kick off the approved package’s first phase of development work. A top CDA officer has stated that because this project involves improving and expanding an existing route, an EIA is unnecessary.