ISLAMABAD: Healthy competitions amongst construction firms enabled the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Tuesday to receive bids significantly below the estimated cost of all five mega roads projects.

These include the construction of a dual carriageway in place of the service road of Islamabad Expressway and overhauling and beautification of Srinagar Highway.

CDA is all set to launch work on the dual carriageway (three lanes each side) in place of the service road east of Islamabad Expressway.

The estimated cost of this project was around Rs6 billion and CDA received bid 13pc below than the notice inviting tender (NIT) cost of the project by the M/S Leimar.

Graves shifting from alignment of Expressway underway

A total of 11 companies were in the race and after qualification process, three were left in the race, whose financial bids were opened on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, CDA received massive 19pc below bid for overhauling of Srinagar Highway. The NIT cost of this project was around Rs2 billion (1.98 billion).

A source said that CDA also received blow bids for overhauling and beautification of Murree Road (25pc below than NIT cost), Jinnah Avenue, the Expressway, 18 and 19pc below, respectively.

“We are very happy as we received below bids in all the five road tenders, and the credit goes to the management particularly Chairman Sohail Ashraf, who had directed all concerned to promote healthy competitions,” said an official of CDA, adding that now it is the responsibility of CDA to avoid post bid changes in scope of work.

“In past, when contractors submitted below bids, in most of the cases, they later tried to get the work revised. So, there should be no change in work,” he said.

Amongst the five projects, the major work is construction of the nine-kilometre dual carriageway in place of the existing dilapidated service road of the Expressway.

It will start from Faizabad and culminate at Gulberg Green stop, as CDA is planning a major commercial areas along this road – like a new blue area to generate massive revenue.

Graves’ shifting

Currently, graves are being shifted from the right of the road. Sources said that around 200 graves from Sohan graveyard will be shifted to a nearby place.

“Out of 200, we have shifted 15 graves and work is in progress for shifting of the remaining graves. Three families from Rawat themselves shifted the bodies of their beloved ones to their native areas while two more bodies will be shifted to Bahatar Jang,” said an official and added that shifting process is being done in consultation with their heirs.

Cleanliness project

Meanwhile, in another decision, CDA management after accepting the objections filed by a Joint Venture firm against its disqualification for mega cleanliness and garbage collection project, declared the company illegible to promote completion. Earlier, after technical bids evaluation, two JVs were declared non responsive, resultantly only one firm remained in the race. However, the second JV was declared responsive on Tuesday. Therefore, now CDA will be opened financial bids of both the JVs and the lowest bidder will be awarded the four-year contracts.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026