RAWALPINDI: The much-awaited GPO Chowk Underpass on Mall Road is set to open for traffic on June 30. Built in just four months at a cost of Rs4.6 billion, the project aims to ease traffic along the 26-kilometer-long Mall Road by making it signal-free and improving overall traffic flow in the city.
The 1.93-kilometer-long underpass was built to solve the problem of traffic jams, especially during VIP movements. It features 2,025 piles, 50 girders, a fully built bridge, 20-foot-wide service roads, and pedestrian footpaths on both sides.
This modern project is seen as a major step in upgrading the city’s road infrastructure. Once open, it will allow smooth and uninterrupted travel from Saddar to Kacheri.
Although the main structure is ready, final work is underway, including painting and the installation of digital advertising boards.
As part of a city beautification plan, the area will be landscaped with flowers, decorative grass, and more than 20,000 trees — including fruit and shade trees — during the upcoming monsoon plantation campaign.
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CCTV cameras will monitor the underpass to ensure public safety. Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema called the project an example of modern urban planning, adding that its lighting, greenery, and commercial benefits will raise the city’s development standards.
More Projects Near Completion
Meanwhile, other major projects in Rawalpindi are also nearing completion. The Nawaz Sharif Flyover at Khawaja Corporation Chowk on Adiala Road, along with two more underpasses on Mall Road and an underground pedestrian walkway near AFIC, are expected to be inaugurated later this month. These projects, including the GPO Chowk Underpass, are likely to be opened by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on June 30.
The Nawaz Sharif Flyover, costing Rs2.3 billion, is in its final stage. It was earlier planned to be inaugurated on June 3 but has now been rescheduled.
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In addition, construction of new underpasses at Qasim Market, Race Course, and Charing Cross is expected to begin soon, likely during school summer vacations to speed up work. The RCB has been directed to shift underground utility lines such as electricity, gas, and water to make way for construction.
A separate large-scale project at Kachehri Chowk — involving two flyovers and three underpasses — has also been approved with a budget of Rs8.5 billion.
Once completed, along with five new underpasses on Mall Road and Peshawar Road, the entire route from the city to Motorway Chowk will become a signal-free corridor.
It is worth mentioning that the underpass at Golra Mor is already operational. All these infrastructure projects are being funded by the Punjab government and are under the supervision of the Communications and Works (C&W) Department.
