Capital Smart City Interchange Approved | Behind the Lens

Islamabad is not only the capital city of Pakistan but also popular for the latest housing schemes. The talk of the town in the year is the fast-developing Capital Smart City in Islamabad.

 

The real estate sector in Islamabad has seen a proven rise in demand for residential and commercial plots. Therefore, the developers fulfilled a large chunk of commitment in the shape of the Capital Smart City interchange.  

Role of Developers for Capital Smart City Interchange

The developers, Habib Rafique Limited (HRL) and Future Development Holdings (FDH) promised their investors of a dedicated entrance and exit for the Capital Smart City.

 

The promise was fulfilled when NHA (National Highway Authority) commenced a meeting for Capital Smart City's interchange approval. This delicate improvement will shape the new amenities within the real estate projects shortly.

 

NHA Approved Interchange Update

 

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has revealed its intention to build an interchange on 17th Avenue in Islamabad, near Sector H-16 and on the road connecting the Motorway and the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, according to an 8th May 2022 news report.

 

The mentioned interchange project – to be built at 17th Avenue on Islamabad Link Road from N-5 to Motorway (M-2) – was first assigned to the Ministry of Interior but now it is under the authority of NHA.

 

The same official of NHA stated that the building timeframe for the new interchange will be finalized once the feasibility study, detailed design, and availability of financial resources are confirmed. He added that the project would also give an alternate route to Sectors I-15 and I-16, easing travel.

The Importance of Location

Capital Smart City is located on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, a 6-minute drive from the airport. The strategic location is only 9.2 km away from the M-2 Toll Plaza. Therefore the need for an M-2 interchange was critical for ease of accessibility back and forth from the housing scheme between the twin cities and Lahore with other adjoining areas. 

 

The M-2 interchange will lie somewhere between 33.2 point number to 33.3 point number - opposite Chach Dam. 

 

The total area of these points is 3.68 km. People can further access the Capital Smart City interchange via Mandwal bridge, a public access point nearby to the M-2 motorway. This intervention will add a new route to the Capital Smart City interchange towards the entrance of the housing society. 

Purpose of the Interchange

An interchange has been designed to accommodate road transport. It is a road junction that separates the moving traffic between two or more highways with the interconnecting road wards. It permits the traffic to pass through the junction without any traffic interruption from cross-traffic streams. 

 

Interchange construction is most useful when a road is a controlled-access highway (motorway). 

4 Benefits of Capital Smart City Motorway Interchange

The ability to use a highway facility depends on the extent of the intersecting traffic patterns. Developing an interchange at the M-2 motorway can improve the operations on both roadways.

 

Heavy investment is required to implement this change in road transport. Therefore Capital Smart City is the priority location and the strategic design will benefit in the following ways:

1. Smooth Traffic

Two traffic light phases are required at an intersection. Therefore the interchange offers more accommodation for the conflicting right and left-hand turns. It reduces the traffic onset and adds more efficiency and capacity for the vehicles to pass by. 

2. Safer Ride

Car crashes are most common on motorways. The vehicles are coming at such a high speed that the chances of a disaster event increase. Interchange offers the exit a driver needs to avoid conflict points. 

3. Cheaper Costs

An interchange is constructed o the existing road networks. It reduces the initial effort of building a new road connection. An interchange offers an extension of the existing routes to new lanes moving forward to an exit. 

4. Increase in Demand

A well-connected real estate area is always in high demand. Because the housing society now offers a direct exit and entry point to the residents, people from the surrounding area can reach Capital Smart City without getting stuck in the traffic, making their ride smoother. Therefore, the incoming traffic towards Capital Smart City will increase in plot rates. 

Capital Smart City Interchange - The Game Changer!

Based on its configuration, the M-2 interchange offers a direct exit point from the motorway toward Capital Smart City. The interchange will be offering more assistance to the drivers to navigate the motorway carefully.

The Capital Smart City interchange approved by NHA offers more trust and goodwill in developers. It is a much-needed effort that was taken by the government.