Kachehri Chowk corridor opens for traffic
The state-of-the-art District Courts Chowk underpasses and overhead bridges project has formally been completed, with all inauguration arrangements now finalised ahead of the official opening scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The mega infrastructure development, officially designated "Marka-e-Haq Square", comprises two flyovers, three underpasses, and two steel pedestrian overhead bridges. The project has reportedly been completed within 187 days at an estimated cost of approximately Rs19 billion.
Construction work on the project commenced on November 3, 2025. To expedite progress, construction operations reportedly continued in three shifts around the clock, enabling the scheme to be completed ahead of schedule.
An inauguration plaque bearing the name of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has already been installed, while a full ceremonial rehearsal for the opening event has also been concluded. Immediately following the inauguration, the interchange is expected to be opened to uninterrupted signal-free traffic.
Amid stringent confidentiality and limited public visibility, final preparations for the formal inauguration of the Kachehri Chowk flyover have entered their concluding phase. Development activity continued at an accelerated pace, with extensive landscaping and finishing works carried out across the site.
Large ornamental trees, flowering plants, and decorative foliage were transported on heavy trailers and installed around the interchange, while fresh turfing was laid along the flyover corridors, adjoining service roads, and surrounding verges.
Testing of the LED illumination and decorative lighting systems was completed overnight. More than 100 sanitary personnel were reportedly deployed on an emergency basis to undertake cleaning and site preparation, while carpeting and final finishing works have also been completed.
CM Maryam is expected to attend the inauguration as the chief guest. Aamir Khattak and Hassan Waqar Cheema will host the ceremony. Official invitations have been issued, while comprehensive security directives have also been finalised.
The Kachehri Chowk development is being described as one of Rawalpindi's most sophisticated urban infrastructure schemes. Since November 2025, the projected cost has reportedly increased progressively, approaching nearly Rs19b owing to the expansion of the elevated crossing component.
The wider scheme includes underpasses, overhead bridges, and a modern six-sided pedestrian crossing bridge, which is said to be in the final stages of completion.
Landscaping beneath the flyovers has been finalised, while lighting and traffic signalling systems are now fully operational. Carpeting work on both flyovers and all four adjoining service roads has likewise been completed.
Following the opening of Maarka-e-Haq Square, uninterrupted traffic flow is expected along Mall Road, Jhelum Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Old Airport Road, and adjoining arteries, substantially reducing long-standing congestion across the city.
Residents have welcomed the timely completion of the project and expressed optimism that it will significantly improve urban mobility within Rawalpindi.
Digital display screens installed at Maarka-e-Haq Square feature images of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir, PML-N Patron Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz.
A commemorative white marble gateway associated with Maarka-e-Haq Buny?n al-Mars?s has also been erected, while the renaming of Kachehri Chowk has been presented as a tribute to personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces who participated in the operation.