RDA proposes Rs800m underpass at 9th Avenue

Project aims to ease chronic traffic congestion at twin cities' key entry and exit point

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has decided to construct a new underpass at Ninth Avenue Chowk on Karnal Sher Khan Road, a major artery connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The proposed project, estimated to cost Rs800 million, is awaiting approval from the Punjab government. Once completed, it is expected to remove traffic bottlenecks at one of the busiest entry and exit points between the twin cities.

According to sources, the underpass will be 1,600 feet long and 16 feet below road level.

The existing road width is 36 feet, while the underpass will be 24 feet wide. A pumping house will also be constructed to ensure proper drainage of rainwater.

At present, a flyover exists at the chowk, providing signal-free movement towards Faizabad. However, traffic moving from Islamabad to Rawalpindi and from Rawalpindi to Islamabad beneath the flyover remains heavily congested due to excessive traffic load.

The chowk, which serves as an alternative entry and exit point between Islamabad and Rawalpindi after the Faizabad Flyover, remains blocked most of the time. Making this junction signal-free for vehicles entering Islamabad via Double Road and entering Rawalpindi via Ninth Avenue has been termed critically important.