Rawalpindi: As groundwork begins on the Katchery Chowk flyover and underpass project, the City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi have started finalising an extensive traffic diversion plan to manage vehicular flow once the chowk is closed for construction in the first week of November.

On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Punjab Highway Department has already started preparatory works, including construction of retaining walls near Fatima Jinnah Women University and Jinnah Park. These works will facilitate the development of service roads and the relocation of utility lines before the main construction phase begins.

A CTP spokesman said Katchery Chowk is one of the busiest intersections in the garrison city, handling more than 200,000 vehicles daily. To minimise inconvenience to commuters, alternative routes have been carefully mapped out.

Under the diversion plan, traffic from Rawat T-Chowk towards Old Airport will be rerouted via Bahria Town U-turn, Bahria Town Phase-I, Gaay Chowk, and Gulraiz Gate No. 2. Motorists travelling from Jhelum Road towards Peshawar Road, the Motorway, or New Airport will use Morgah Turn, Attock Oil Refinery Chowk, Defence Road, and Tulsa Road to reach 22 Number Chowk through Kalma Chowk.

For those heading towards Saddar from Jhelum Road, the alternative route will pass through New Lalazar, Foundation University, Raah-e-Aman Road, and COD Chowk. Vehicles bound for Peshawar or the Motorway can use Khattak Chowk, Sher Khan Chowk, Qasim Market, and Peshawar Road, while Saddar-bound traffic may opt for TNT Chowk.

Traffic for Murree Road will be channelled through COD Chowk, Barqi Chowk, Convent Chowk, Shalimar Chowk, and PC Hotel, leading to TM Chowk. Similarly, vehicles moving towards Old Airport or Saddar will travel via Rahimabad Bridge, Chauhan Chowk, Rawal Road, PF Chowk, Ali Nawaz Chowk, and Shaheen Chowk.

The spokesman urged motorists to follow traffic police directions and cooperate during the construction period, expressing hope that the public would exercise patience to ensure smooth traffic management. Once completed, the Katchery Chowk project—modelled after the Nawaz Sharif Flyover and GPO Underpass—is expected to significantly ease chronic traffic congestion in Rawalpindi.