The Punjab Communication and Works Department will start building two major Underpasses in Rawalpindi on September 7. The projects will cost around Rs. 8 billion.
The new Underpasses will be constructed on Peshawar Road. One project is planned near Race Course Park. The second will be built at Charing Cross.
The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has received the contract for the construction work. Authorities have already completed alternate service roads for motorists.
Traffic on Peshawar Road will shift to these service roads once construction begins. The alternate routes are designed to keep traffic moving during the project.
One service road will connect Qasim Market with Radio Pakistan. Another route will run between Maryam Hospital and Rafay Mall.
The district administration had earlier planned three underpasses along Peshawar Road. The original plan included locations near Race Course Park, Army Graveyard and Charing Cross.
Officials later revised the plan and reduced the number of projects to two. The Army Graveyard location will instead receive an at-grade road.
Authorities have also completed important utility relocation work. The work included shifting electricity pylons and water supply lines.
Telephone connections and cable networks have also been relocated. This preparation is expected to help construction proceed without major utility disruptions.
The Underpasses are part of a larger traffic management project for Rawalpindi. The broader plan aims to create a 25-kilometer signal-free corridor.
The proposed corridor will connect Islamabad Expressway with Motorway Chowk through Peshawar Road. Authorities expect the project to improve traffic flow across the busy route.
The corridor is also expected to reduce travel time between the two points. Officials estimate that the journey could take between 15 and 20 minutes after completion.
Construction of the two underpasses is expected to take around two to three months. Traffic management arrangements will remain important throughout the construction period.
Several other road improvement projects have already been completed in the area. The General Post Office Chowk project was completed last year.
The Kutchery Chowk remodeling project was also completed in May. These projects form part of wider efforts to improve traffic movement in Rawalpindi.
The latest construction work is expected to further improve connectivity along Peshawar Road. Authorities will monitor traffic diversions while the new infrastructure is being developed.
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The project will add two major structures to the city’s road network. It is also expected to support the planned signal-free corridor once all related works are completed.
