The Islamabad-Junction Principal Road, or IJP road for short, might seem just 6 lanes and a median at the first look but it has a lot to offer, a lot that no other highway in Pakistan (or even in the world) has. Some of the awards and accolades this 10-kilometer long road has earned include:
– The only road on earth with a 2-kilometer-long perfume factory on its side (yeah, you guessed it right).
– The least congested highway in Pakistan (#2 in the world after Dubai-Abu Dhabi Expressway).
– The best pavement quality of any road in the world (the Americans have been trying to find the contractor who made this road for several years).
Let’s have a detailed look at the reasons you and everyone else should love the IJP road.
1. Pavement Quality
A lot of philosophy and consideration has gone into the construction of the IJP Road, especially the pavement quality.
When I was studying transportation engineering, my professor told me that in Dubai they drive a car on a road and place a glass full of water on the dash. If the water splashes, the road is not okay and the contractor won’t get any payment.
I thought what better place to test this than the IJP road?
So I rented a brand new Corolla and went to IJP Road. Just 10 meters into the road and the glass fell off the dash and the carpet of the car was all wet.
That was just the start of it.
As I continued the journey, the calm and quiet 10-kilometer cruise took just over an hour and when we did reach the side of IJP, we needed a complete overhaul of the suspension.
Now you need to look into the philosophy behind it. I paid Rs. 100,000 to the mechanic for fixing the suspension. How else would the poor man make a living?
Conclusion: IJP Road makes it possible for mechanics to earn a respectable living – and hence keep the economy running!
2. The Scent of the Heavens
If you enter the IJP road from GT road, you can experience the best scent the twin cities have to offer. CDA very carefully planned a disposal site just along the road.
If you have any regard for your health, it is advised that you do not open the windows in this section of the road, even if you do not have air conditioning.
The reason behind the decision to make the landfill here was that it costs nothing to roll up the windows of a car but if the dump trucks have to carry the stuff out of the city, that costs a lot of diesel.
CDA is environmentally responsible so they don’t burn any diesel to haul the waste to another location. They simply let people dump everything alongside the IJP at different points on the highway.
So eco-friendly of them! Hats off!
3. Smooth Traffic
The next reason you want to travel the 10 magnificent kilometers of the IJP is the traffic. It is not like that of any other road in the twin cities.
If you have forgotten the types of trucks there are, this is the best place to get to know them again.
You can praise the beauty of the trucks and the smoke coming out of their exhaust pipes as you think about the secrets of the universe traversing this road.
You can also plan your entire life, numerous times, while traveling between any two points on this road! Is there any other road on the planet that can help you reconsider your life choices?
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4. The View
The beauty and elegance this road holds in itself are one of a kind. And the view, GOD THE VIEW. If you live in Islamabad, you can easily get bored of the mountains, Faisal Mosque, and Centarus.
That’s when you need a change and IJP is the road that offers the change.
Instead of the boring mountains, you can see the unsolicited natural beauty, the excellent pavement, and the thought-provoking pieces of poetry written on trucks.
Sure you can use the Kashmir (Srinagar) Highway to go from GT Road to Islamabad Highway, but where’s the fun in that? Why reach the office on time and do all the work by yourself when you can show up hours late and let your peers share some work off your plate (Lifehack 101)!
Disclaimer: The blog post is a satirical piece. The opinions expressed within the content are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the website or its affiliates.