RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government is planning to build an underpass at Marrir Chowk to improve traffic flow on Murree Road. The Punjab Communication and Works Department has sent a proposal to include the project in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2026-27.
A senior official said that initial paperwork for the underpass, which will run from Rashid Minhas Road to Liaquat Bagh, has started. He added that construction work will begin in the next fiscal year after approval from the provincial government.
The official said that work on the Marrir Chowk project is expected to start after the completion of ongoing projects, including the remodelling of Kutcheri Chowk by April 30 and the Peshawar Road underpasses by June 30.
He said there is a strong need to improve traffic management after the remodelling of Kutcheri Chowk, especially towards Murree Road and inner areas of Rawalpindi.
According to the official, most vehicles enter Murree Road from Kutcheri Chowk through Rashid Minhas Road, which causes long traffic queues at Marrir Chowk. He said more than 150,000 vehicles pass through the junction daily, and the underpass will help ease congestion.
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Currently, U-turns have been introduced at Marrir Chowk and Liaquat Bagh to control traffic and make Murree Road signal-free from The Mall to Naz Cinema.
The official said that after approval, the PC-I will be submitted next month, adding that the initial feasibility study has already been completed.
Earlier, in 2017, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) had also planned underpasses at Liaquat Bagh and Marrir Chowk. An RDA official said that Rs20 million was spent on a feasibility study during the 2016-17 fiscal year, with NesPak acting as the consultant.
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However, the project was not started due to the high cost of land acquisition, especially for the Liaquat Bagh underpass, which was estimated at Rs1.4 billion. He added that no funds were released for the project during the PTI government from 2018 to 2022.
Later, the provincial government handed over the project to the Punjab Communication and Works Department, which is already working on other major projects in the city.
The RDA official said that after this decision, the authority was left mainly with the Rawalpindi Ring Road project and carried out only road maintenance work in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
He added that the RDA has also submitted PC-I proposals for the rehabilitation of Murree Road from The Mall to Faizabad, extension of Murree Road from Liaquat Bagh to Waris Khan, and construction of an underpass linking Double Road with 9th Avenue for inclusion in ADP 2026-27.
