Islamabad Expressway service road 28% built as CDA demolishes 124 structures, seals 58

The Islamabad Expressway service road (East) is just over 28% built, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) says it has now demolished 124 structures and sealed 58 buildings along the route, the state news agency APP reported on Saturday 7 November, citing the authority. The demolitions cover the stretch between Sohan and Khanna Bridge.

What is being built on the Islamabad Expressway

• Route: a 9.3km dual carriageway from Faizabad to Gulberg, three lanes each side, running alongside the main expressway.
• Progress: excavation, sub-grade and sub-base work is under way on several sections, and all 153 piles for the project's underpass are in, the CDA said. Culverts and drainage are also being built.
• The aim: take local traffic off the main expressway so through traffic moves faster, with shorter trips and less fuel burnt for commuters from Sohan, Iqbal Town, Khanna, Koral and Gulberg.

No completion date was given in the latest update; CDA chairman Sohail Ashraf has told officials to finish it "within the stipulated timeframe" and speed up work on every section.

How the demolition drive grew, September to November

The numbers have moved in three steps, all from CDA statements carried by APP:

So the demolition list has not grown: the 124 structures marked in September are the ones now down. For the other 253 structures on the list, the CDA has spoken only of sealing, penalties and regularisation, not demolition. The Rs 3 billion is land conversion charges and penalties for breaking land-use, setback, floor area ratio and covered-area rules.

If you own or rent a building along the route

• Sealed premises stay shut until the violation is fixed and the regularisation paperwork is approved, the CDA said in September. Paying the conversion charge or penalty is part of that process.
• Check before you buy or rent a shop or flat on the expressway: ask the seller for the CDA building plan approval and completion certificate. A stamp duty calculator and our plot size converter help with the rest of the sums.
• Commuters: until the service road opens, work out what the daily crawl costs you with the fuel cost calculator; petrol is on our petrol price page.

We will update this story when the CDA gives a completion date or a new demolition list.