Cracks have been found on a newly-built section of Margalla Avenue in Islamabad, although the road is not yet officially open. The road is currently open to traffic but a 700-metre portion is yet to be completed. The cracks, located near Shah Allah Ditta underpass, have raised concerns over the quality of the road. CDA’s Member Engineering Syed Munawar Shah stated that the cracks are a routine matter and that the road is still incomplete.
He added that the road has not yet been handed over to the authorities, but it has been opened to facilitate the public. The CDA’s chairman has visited the site and directed the contractor to resolve the issue. The 10.4-km-long Margalla Road from G.T. Road to D-12 has been constructed by Frontier Works Organisation, and a further five km portion from D-12 to E-11 is under construction by the National Logistics Cell. The project is worth around Rs3.9 billion and is expected to be completed in six months. The CDA has around five sectors along the length of the Margalla Avenue, with the value of CDA’s sectors having increased significantly since the road was opened. CDA is paying particular attention to these sectors, having removed over 1,000 illegal houses/structures in recent anti-encroachment operations. The CDA chairman recently reprimanded officials for failing to remove such structures and suspended the concerned gardawar and patwari.
It is crucial for the concerned authorities to take swift action to rectify the problem and ensure that the road is built to the highest standards of quality. The contractor responsible for the construction of the road must be held accountable and should be required to redo the road as per the specifications. It is also essential for the authorities to conduct regular inspections and quality checks during the construction process to prevent such issues from arising in the first place.
Furthermore, it is important to prioritize safety and quality over speed and cost when it comes to infrastructure development projects. Cutting corners and compromising on quality can lead to disastrous consequences and end up costing more in the long run. Therefore, it is crucial for the authorities to invest in skilled and experienced contractors and adopt best practices to ensure that all infrastructure projects are built to the highest standards of safety and quality.