LAHORE: The government has approved a Rs7bn project to make the Maulana Shaukat Ali Road signal free, connecting the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (Multan Road) with the Metro Bus (Green Line) on the Ferozepur Road.

The proposal of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) claims that the project would not only reduce the travel time from Kharak Stop (Multan Road) to Qainchi (Ferozepur Road) from 45 minutes to 15 minutes but it would also improve the environment in the localities along the road.

“The proposal to make the road a signal-free corridor has been approved recently. Soon it will materialise through the PC-1, bidding and launch of this mega project,” said LDA Chief Engineer Mazhar Hussain Asif. He added the project would cover about a 15km long major artery of Lahore.

Rs7 billion project to connect Multan Road with Ferozepur Road at Qainchi Stop

The Maulana Shaukat Ali Road starts from Kharak Stop (Multan Road) near Sabzazar Orange Line station, leaves Allama Iqbal Town at Karim Block signal by crossing the Wahdat Road and then Canal Road. It goes straight toward the Jinnah Hospital and finally connects with Ferozepur Road (Qainchi Stop) via Shauq Chowk, Akbar Chowk, Model Town Link intersection, Pindi Stop and Kot Lakhpat.

The road connects various areas such as Allama Iqbal Town, Punjab University, Faisal Town, Johar Town, BOR Society, Township, Green Town and Mode Town with the Ferozepur Road. It has various traffic congestion points due to traffic signals at Karim Block, Jinnah Hospital, BOR Society, Shauq Chowk, Akbar Chowk, Model Town Link Mor etc.

During the peak hours, the motorists would get stuck in traffic for hours that also causes environmental pollution, waste of energy, money and other issues.

“The Rs7bn project would have a variety of interventions at various spots, including construction of underpasses, flyovers, protected U-turns, pedestrian bridges, elevated paths/passages for motorcyclists and footpaths for pedestrians. It will also help the government to get the service roads on both sides of the existing Maulana Shaukat Ali Road from the encroachers (car showroom dealers and other business outlets),” Mr Asif explained while talking to journalists here on Saturday.

He said the work on Thokar to Manga via Chuhng and Mohlanwal signal-free road was under way these days while the speed of work on the Gulab Devi Hospital Underpass (Ferozepur Road), Shahkam Chowk Flyover and Sheranwala Gate had been accelerated.

“There will be no land acquisition for Gulab Devi underpass now since we have skipped this through making some slight changes in the project design. This has saved over Rs50m,” Mr Asif claimed.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2021