RAWALPINDI: Work on the Rs4.6 billion General Post Office (GPO) underpass on The Mall is still incomplete and the underpass is not yet open to traffic despite the already-extended June 30 deadline being missed.

This has caused traffic congestion in Saddar and adjoining roads.

However, senior officials of the Communication and Works Department told Dawn that 95 per cent of the work had been completed and presently they were busy in giving it a finishing touch.

They said the underpass was likely to open for traffic by mid-July. It is expected that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will visit the city to inaugurate both the GPO underpass and the Nawaz Sharif Flyover on Adiala Road, they added.

Officials say 95pc work completed, underpass likely to open for traffic by mid-July

It may be mentioned here that the initial deadline for completing the work on GPO underpass was May 31 which was later extended to June 30 by the Punjab government.

On June 2, the chief minister`s visit to the garrison city was postponed as work on these projects could not be completed.

Regarding the ongoing work, a senior official of the district administration said road carpeting was almost complete, but the carpeting at junctions with connecting roads was still in progress. Besides this, he said, lighting and other works had also been completed.

“During rain, lane markings were washed away and work on remarking has started. Road testing has been completed. Drains have been constructed and connected to the nullah,” he said.

He added that due to the Ashura holidays, work was likely to resume next Monday. Only five per cent of the work remains, which is expected to be completed within a week.

The GPO Double Barrel Underpass in Rawalpindi is a major infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion on The Mall, making it a signal-free corridor.

It extends from TM Chowk to the Military Hospital and is part of a larger initiative to improve traffic flow in the city. The underpass is a double-barrel structure, meaning it has two separate tunnels to accommodate traffic in both directions.

The underpass will benefit approximately 250,000 vehicles per day. Due to frequent traffic jams, commuters have faced difficulties, but the underpass is expected to provide relief.

During the construction work, people travelling on The Mall faced severe hardship as the alternative routes were not sufficient to handle more than 250,000 vehicles per day.

This caused heavy congestion in Saddar and on other alternative routes such as Chungi No 22 along the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

“Traffic wardens were deployed to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, but they seemed incapable of handling the situation in the downtown area. The closure of Bank Road for vehicles from Capital Cinema to Murree Road was also a major reason for the congestion, as people were forced to use Haider Road and Adamjee Road to reach Murree Road from Peshawar Road,” said Mohammad Taimoor, a motorist.

“Taxi drivers are refusing to go to Saddar due to the traffic jam, and most people are seen walking on the main road due to the absence of public transport,” said Imtiaz Hussain, a visitor to Saddar.

On the other hand, the construction work on Nawaz Sharif Flyover has already been completed and the flyover has been opened for traffic last month.

On June 12, Commissioner Rawalpindi Aamer Khattak visited the Nawaz Sharif Flyover and the under construction GPO Chowk underpass to reviewed the progress on these projects.

The commissioner had stated that the flyover, completed in a record period of 120 days, had helped a lot in solving traffic issues of Adiala Road.

“Around 79,000 vehicles are getting benefit out of it daily,” he had said, adding that the chronic issue of traffic jams on Adiala Road had been largely resolved.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025