The Punjab Communication and Works Department is preparing to begin construction of three major underpasses on Peshawar Road in Rawalpindi early in January. The project, valued at eight billion rupees, is a key part of the signal free corridor that will link Ammar Chowk to Motorway Chowk. The Frontier Works Organisation has already been awarded the project on a government to government basis and is currently working on the remodeling of Kutchery Chowk.
According to officials, construction on the underpasses at Race Course Park Square, Army Graveyard Square and Charing Cross will begin in January. Traffic police have been instructed to finalize a diversion plan by the end of December to ensure smooth vehicle movement during the construction phase. Work orders for the Frontier Works Organisation are expected in December and the underpasses are likely to be completed within three months.
Authorities estimate that more than two hundred fifty thousand vehicles use this section of Peshawar Road every day. The new underpasses are expected to allow uninterrupted traffic flow through the busiest intersections of the corridor. Officials added that tenders for shifting one hundred thirty two kilovolt pylons would be issued by December nine as part of the preparatory work needed before construction begins.
Punjab Highway Department Executive Engineer Rana Qamar Saqib confirmed that preliminary requirements have been completed and physical work on the underpasses will begin in January. He emphasized that the project is part of a larger thirty billion rupees initiative that includes the remodeling of Kutchery Chowk and several related upgrades. Significant investment has already been made in GPO Chowk and other components of the corridor.
Officials also shared that planning is underway for a flyover at Ammar Chowk with an estimated cost of over three billion rupees. Once the remodeling of Kutchery Chowk and the construction of the underpasses are completed, travel time from district courts to Motorway Chowk is expected to drop to nearly fifteen to twenty minutes.
They added that road rehabilitation from Rawat to Kutchery Chowk has already eased traffic movement. After full completion of the project, long standing traffic bottlenecks on Peshawar Road are expected to be resolved and the improved corridor will also support the introduction of government operated electric buses for daily commuters.
