Pindi traffic upgrades enter final phase

Construction on three Peshawar Road underpasses will begin mid-February

RAWALPINDI:

The under-construction Kachehri Chowk flyover and three underpasses project is scheduled for completion by April 30, while work on three underpasses along Peshawar Road will commence in mid-February and is set to be completed by May 30. During construction on Peshawar Road, one-way traffic flow will be maintained.

The executing agency, the Communication and Works (C&W) Department, has briefed the Punjab government on the project's current progress and planned future milestones. Upon completion, a signal-free corridor from Kachehri Chowk to Motorway Chowk will become operational by June 2026, ensuring smooth traffic flow.

Construction work on the Jinnah Park Underpass and Flyover, Kachehri Chowk Underpass and Flyover, and the Iftikhar Janjua Road widening and underpass project—at a total cost of Rs13.33 billion—is progressing at a rapid pace. The work is being carried out round the clock in three shifts and is expected to be completed and opened to traffic by April 30 this year.

Meanwhile, three underpasses are to be constructed on Peshawar Road at Qasim Market–Race Course Chowk, Qabristan Chowk, and Chairing Cross Chowk at a cost of Rs8.83b. For the past week, work has been under way to relocate utilities, including electricity, gas and sewerage lines, as well as large and small trees. Formal construction work is scheduled to begin in mid-February.

According to Superintending Engineer C&W Rao Tahir, work at Kachehri Chowk will be completed by April 30, after which the junction will be fully opened to traffic. He said that formal construction on Peshawar Road would begin by February 15, starting from Chairing Cross Chowk. An underpass will be built for traffic coming from the Saddar side, while traffic heading towards Peshawar will pass without an underpass through road remodelling and widening, allowing signal-free movement.