RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has approved three major road projects worth Rs14.7 billion at Kutchery Chowk to ease traffic congestion in the city.
According to officials of the Punjab Highway Department, the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) gave its approval in its 17th meeting held in Lahore on August 11.
Under the plan, two flyovers and one underpass will be built at Kutchery Chowk at a cost of Rs6.69 billion. An underpass will be constructed at Iftikhar Janjua Road for Rs2.79 billion, while a flyover and an underpass will be developed at Jinnah Park Chowk for Rs5.24 billion.
Officials said the projects are part of a signal-free corridor from Koral Chowk to Motorway Chowk. The corridor will be completed in phases, starting with Kutchery Chowk. A flyover at Ammar Chowk and three underpasses on Peshawar Road — at Race Course Park Chowk, Army Graveyard Chowk, and Chairing Cross — will also be included in the plan.
A survey conducted by the department revealed that more than 250,000 vehicles pass through Kutchery Chowk every day, making it one of the busiest intersections in Rawalpindi.
Once the projects are completed, traffic on Rashid Minhas Road, Jhelum Road, The Mall, Peshawar Road, old Airport Road and G.T. Road is expected to improve.
The projects will also allow travellers from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to reach the Islamabad International Airport more easily through the motorway. A new bus service for the airport will also be introduced.
— ALSO READ —
CM Punjab orders transport fare cut after diesel price reduction
Another official said an additional flyover at Ammar Chowk is also being planned after clearance from garrison authorities. The flyover was earlier part of the Ammar Chowk remodelling project but was dropped; the government has now decided to revive it.
Executive Engineer of the Highway Department Rana Qamar Ali confirmed that work on the Rs14.7 billion projects will begin after the monsoon season. He added that the three projects are interconnected and will help eliminate traffic bottlenecks in the city.
About land requirements, he said the department would try to design the projects in a way that minimizes land acquisition and shifting of utility services. However, more than 20 kanals of land will still be needed.
Land belonging to Fatima Jinnah Women University, Jinnah Park, the taxation office complex, the commissioner’s office, police lines and some private plots will be acquired.
The district administration will coordinate with government departments to transfer the required land, with officials stressing that mostly state-owned land will be used.
— ALSO READ —
FIR registered against YouTuber Ducky Bhai under PECA and PPC sections
Meanwhile, the much-trumpeted Rawalpindi Ring Road project worth Rs32.9 billion is likely to miss its December 2025 deadline, with costs expected to rise by 40 to 50 per cent.
A senior official of the divisional administration said more than 70 per cent of work had been completed, but heavy monsoon rains and delays in related approvals slowed progress.
He said a revised PC-I is being prepared due to rising construction material and transport charges, which will be sent to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and later Ecnec for final approval.
The Frontier Works Organization (FWO), the contractor, has also sought a cost increase of more than 50 per cent. The project’s estimated cost has already risen from Rs26 billion to Rs32.9 billion earlier this year, bringing the total to nearly Rs39 billion including land acquisition.
Deputy Project Director Ashfaq Sulheri confirmed the deadline would be extended, saying the work will gain momentum after the monsoon season. The divisional commissioner, who is also the project director, recently visited the site and directed the contractor to speed up work in the coming weeks.
