The first underground cabling-based walking street in Saddar's commercial hub, Bank Road, is set to be inaugurated on February 26.Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend the event as a chief guest, while Secretary of Defence Lt-Gen (retd) Muhammad Ali, MLC Director General Irfan Ahmed Malik, and members of the National and Provincial Assembly will attend the ceremony.
Completed at a cost of Rs1.2 billion, the one-kilometre stretch from Murree Road to Police Station Road is one of the busiest in Rawalpindi, home to top brand outlets.
In the first phase, all overhead cables including electricity and telephone, large poles and heavy transformers on them were removed and all types of cabling were transferred underground. After laying a new sewage system, tough tiling, new spacious footpaths, beautiful benches for sitting, a modern lighting system, and new food cabins for quality food and drink have been installed on the road.
Executive washrooms have been built for visitors and families in the shopping area.
Bank Road has been divided into four blocks and paths have been provided for pedestrians only. Heavy gates have been installed at the beginning and end of each block, while the Canning Road and Kashmir Road routes connected to Bank Road have been kept open for traffic.
Electric vehicles are now available in all four blocks of the street, offering a free shuttle service. Bank Road has transformed into the busiest and most picturesque walking street in the commercial area, attracting crowds of pedestrians who enjoy shopping in a pleasant environment. By evening, the number of shoppers doubles compared to daytime.
Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Cantonment Board Rawalpindi Rashid Saqib said that work is under way on the underground cabling project on Saddar's Haider Road, Kashmir Road, Adamji Road and Mall Road. The business centres of Saddar Bazaar, Hospital Road, Hathi Chowk, Coal Centre and Police Station Road will also be made part of the underground cabling and beautification project.
Initial work has begun on a project to make Five Star Hotel Chowk, TM Chowk, and Mall Plaza Chowk on Mall Road signal-free. The plan includes an underground pedestrian street between Medical Stores Plaza and the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology on Mall Road. The formal launch of the project will take place soon.
Saqib said that the Punjab government will spend Rs4.38 billion on this project. The work will be completed in six months. With the completion of the project, the three above-mentioned intersections on Mall Road will become traffic signal-free, where the difficulties faced by the citizens in traffic flow will be eliminated.
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