ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to complete the Murree Road underpass project within 35 days.

He issued the directive during his visit to the ongoing Murree Road underpass project.

According to a press release, the minister further instructed that quality must be maintained along with speed, stressing that smooth traffic flow on alternative routes should be ensured for the convenience of commuters.

He said the signal-free corridor from Islamabad airport to Murree would also help reduce traffic load near Kashmir Chowk and contribute to the overall improvement of the city’s traffic system, resulting in time and fuel savings.

Says signal-free corridor from Islamabad airport to Murree will ease citizens’ travel

Besides, the minister said, this project would also resolve the city’s longstanding traffic congestion issues and facilitate tourists travelling to Murree.

The CDA is currently executing the Murree Road underpass project besides expanding existing roads in the said areas. After completion of this project, the motorists coming from Murree will have direct access to Srinagar Highway.

Last year, when CDA had started the Serena Interchange project, people of Murree and other adjoining areas asked the CDA to construct an underpass on Murree Road to provide a direct link to Srinagar Highway.

In the absence of any direct link, motorists coming from Murree Road said that they have to go to Kashmir Chowk (also known as Dhokri Chowk) to enter Srinagar Highway.

The CDA started this project earlier this year with a focus on expansion of existing roads.

Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of the ongoing project. Subsequently, the CDA started digging for the underpass and the pace of the project was accelerated. Besides the expansion of the existing roads, both sides of a nearby bridge on Murree Road are also being widened.

According to CDA, the excavation work for the underpass is progressing rapidly.

CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa briefed the minister on the project’s progress. The briefing highlighted that the construction of the structure and road network was progressing rapidly and the project would be completed within the stipulated time.

It was also apprised that the underpass would be 479-metre long and designed to accommodate three traffic lanes. The project also includes widening the adjacent bridge by adding two lanes on both sides. Furthermore, four slip roads connected to the project will also be expanded.

After completion of the underpass, the traffic moving from Faizabad will pass through the underpass and traffic coming from Murree going towards Faizabad will go directly through link roads, while those motorists who want to enter Srinagar Highway will go above the underpass.

The CDA is executing it as part of the Serena Interchange project, which was completed in February this year. According to PC-I, the project is supposed to be completed in 60 days at an estimated cost of Rs900 million and CDA is conducting it as part of a previous contract without calling new tenders.

The CDA officials said that the worth of the Serena Interchange project was Rs4.2 billion, and according to the CDA, a 15pc expansion of any project was legitimate; therefore, the project was being constructed with a variation of 15pc.

The CDA officials said that before starting this project, the matter was placed before the CDA board, which allowed the civic agency to execute this project as part of the previous contract of the Serena project.

“The previous contractor of Serena Interchange is executing this project…we engaged him directly to save time,” claimed an officer of the CDA.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2025