RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Communication and Works Department officially began work to facilitate the construction of Kutchery Chowk and Jinnah Park flyovers and underpasses besides building retaining walls at Fatima Jinnah Women University and Jinnah Park.

The overall cost of the two flyovers and one underpass is Rs6.6 billion. The Jinnah Park underpass and flyover project will cost Rs5.2 billion; and one underpass at Iftikhar Janjua is estimated to cost Rs2.7 billion.

Though the construction is expected to commence in the first week of November, pending approval from the garrison authorities, the provincial highway department has started work on constructing retaining walls at Fatima Jinnah Women University and Jinnah Park to enable the construction of service roads and the shifting of utility services.

For the Iftikhar Janjua Chowk underpass, four kanal and five marla of land will be utilised, mostly from military land, with eight kanal and two marla acquired for the Kutchery Chowk flyover and underpass, and five kanal and 19 marla for Jinnah Park underpass.

“As the district administration and City Traffic Police prepare a traffic diversion plan, Punjab Highway has begun work to widen the roads while demolishing old boundary walls at Jinnah Park and Fatima Jinnah Women University,” said a senior official of Punjab Highways.

He explained that according to the traffic count survey, over 131,500 vehicles pass through Kutchery Chowk daily, mainly from the old Airport Road and Jhelum Road.

He added that the department aims to complete the construction of the university and park walls by November 1 and to develop the service road. The new diversion plan will be finalised, and subject to approval from the relevant authorities, the contract with Frontier Works Organisation will be initiated.

The official also mentioned that the contractor intends to close the main square to all traffic due to the complexity of the work. Managing the traffic during this period is essential. He noted that Section 4 has been enforced, and the district price assessment committee is finalising the land acquisition costs.

He clarified that most of the land involved will be government property, with minimal private land being utilised. He confirmed that all preparations for the road project are nearly complete.

Furthermore, he highlighted that the contractor has begun verifying drawings and other essential processes, deploying teams for surveys. Pile testing has been concluded.

He also indicated that construction work on three additional underpasses, at Race Course Park, Army Graveyard Square, and Chairing Cross on Peshawar Road, may commence in the current fiscal year 2025-26. Once completed, the main road from Ammar Chowk to the motorway will be signal-free.

When approached, Executive Engineer of the Punjab Highway Department, Rana Qamar, stated that work on the walls, service roads, and drainage at Jinnah Park and Fatima Jinnah Women University has begun. He confirmed that work on the main roads is scheduled to start next month.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025