Islamabad :  Margalla Avenue will not only provide an easy access to the commuters from Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK) but will also reduce the traffic burden with Kashmir Highway enter the Federal Capital.

This was stated by the Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Engineer Farkhand Iqbal, while talking to media persons on the occasion of his visit to reviewing the progress on construction of Margalla Avenue here on Thursday .

Chairman CDA said that despite the financial crunches, CDA has initiated this project, adding that construction work on Margalla Avenue would be completed within a year time. To facilitate the commuters coming from other cities as well as travel from Islamabad to different cities of the country would be able to save their precious time by using Margalla Avenue, he added.

He said that with the construction of Margalla Avenue, economic and business activities would also increase. Chairman CDA said that CDA will complete the project within a year at the cost of Rs.1.00 billion. He said that Margalla Avenue is 9 (nine) kilometers long with 9 (nine) culverts, adding that the avenue will consist of 2 lane of 12 feet width on each side. He said that an overhead bridge would also be constructed on railway lane. He said that all resources would be utilized to complete the construction work on Margalla Avenue.

Engineer Farkhand Iqbal said that sufficient storage of water is available to meet the requirements of the city; however, power outage causes hindrance in supply of water from tube-wells. He said that in the presence of President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, CDA inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese company regarding supply of 200 million gallon of water from Ghazi Barotha water reservoir to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on daily basis.

To cope with the energy crisis, Chairman CDA said that CDA is working on a comprehensive plan to introduce solar energy system as an alternative energy resource. He said that the tube-well would be operated on solar energy and would enable CDA to save millions of rupees.

Expressing his satisfaction over the ongoing construction work on Margalla Avenue, he directed the concerned formations of the Authority to carry on construction work inline with modern technology with quality and international standard. He said that Margalla Avenue will provide an easy access to Sector C-13, C-14, C-15 and C-15 especially D-12.