ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to inaugurate three road projects of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), including 11th Avenue, on Wednesday.

Sources said the prime minister will lay foundation of 11the Avenue, which will link Khayaban-i-Iqbal with Srinagar Highway and Karnal Sher Khan Road (previously known as IJP road). He will also inaugurate the newly-overhauled Karnal Sher Khan Road and 7th Avenue interchange near Aabpara, which was completed and openedfor trafhclastyear.

Sources said CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal and former MNAs of the PML-N held a meeting to finalise arrangements of the prime minister`s visit. After inaugurating Karnal Sher Khan Road, which has been widened and overhauled, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone of lith Avenue.

Later, he may also visit E-11 to inspect an ongoing road project from D-12 to E-11, where an interchange has been completed. Officials of the CDA said lith Avenue project will solve expected traffic mess at E-11 and Khayaban-i-Iqbal after completion of an under-construction road linking newly-constructed MargallaAvenue with E-11.

They said when work on 5.5-km-long road from D-12 (a point where Margalla Avenue ends) to E-11 will be completed by July, the entire traffic on Margalla Avenue will move towards E-11 and Khayaban-i-Iqbal (two lanes on each side of the road) and will cause traffic bottlenecks.

Therefore, they said, construction of lith Avenue should be started and completed as soon as possibleto avoid traffic mess. This road is part of Islamabad`s master plan. According to city`s master plan, there will be a major avenue between two sectors. The CDA had constructed 7th Avenue to divide G-6 and G-7. Similarly, 8th Avenue, which is known as Faisal Avenue, was built and during General Pervez Musharaf regime, 9th Avenue was also built.

But since then, no major road has been constructed. The PTI government had started construction of loth Avenue, but some months ago, after completing only 15pc work, the contractor stopped the work because of shortage of funds.

Recently, the interior ministry assured the CDA that it will provide it Rs1.5 billion for 10th Avenue before closing ofthe outgoingñscalyear.

However, the federal government has earmarked only Rs400 million in PSDP of the fiscal year 2023-24for the project.

`Let me appreciate Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for launching new development schemes in Islamabad besides getting completed projects like Rawal Dam Interchange, Korang bridge and 7th Avenue Interchange, which had been launched by previous government, but they were facing delays in completion. Because of PM`s intervention, these projects have been completed while new projects like Bhara Kahu bypass is near completion and the expansion of the expressway and the construction of a 5.5km road from D-12 to E-11 are under progress, said an official.

He, however, said 10th Avenue project also needed special attention of the PM as Rs10 billion were needed for its early completion.

`This project was started in March last year and is supposed to be completed by March 2024. However, so far, only 15pc work has been completed and only about Rs2 billion have been released for it,` he said and added that for the Escal year 2023-24 the government instead of allocating the remaining around Rs8billion had earmarked only Rs400 million.

`I hope, PM Shehbaz Sharif, besides laying foundation stone of lith Avenue, will also take notice of the slow progress in the ongoing 10th Avenue project,` he said.