RAWALPINDI: Initial work on the construction of three underpasses on Peshawar Road has started with completion of the pile-load testing.

“The formal construction work on the underpasses at Race Course Park, Army Graveyard and Chairing Cross will start next month,” said Punjab Highway Department Executive Engineer Rana Qamar Saqib while talking to Dawn.

He said section 4 had been imposed around Peshawar Road from Race Course Park to Chairing Cross to stop sale and purchase of land, adding the land acquisition will be started soon.

He said shifting of electricity transmission pylons installed in the middle of Peshawar Road will be started soon and will be completed by January 15.

“Pile load testing in the area has been completed and the contractor has established its field office at Race Course Park. Scrutiny of the demands of utility service providers has also been started,” he said.

He said Iesco, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL), Pakistan Telecommunication (PTCL) and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board had submitted their demands for the shifting of services and the highway department will release funds after scrutiny of the demands.

The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has been awarded the contract on the government-to-government work basis. FWO is already working on Kutchery Chowk remodeling.

He said work orders to the FWO will be issued in December, adding the project was likely to complete within three months.

An official said these underpasses are part of signal-free corridor project launched by Punjab government at a cost of Rs30 billion.

“A total of 250,736 vehicles use this section of Peshawar Road on a daily basis and the underpasses will help traffic pass these squares without any hurdles. Usually traffic rush is seen on these three sections of the main road,” he said.

“It is part of the signal-free corridor project launched by the Punjab government at a cost of Rs30 billion. Over Rs14 billion is being spent on Kutchery Chowk and Rs8 billion will be spent on the three underpasses. Moreover, Rs6 billion had been spent on GPO Chowk underpasses,” he said.

He said there was also a plan to construct a flyover at Ammar Chowk at a cost of Rs3.450 billion and work on its PC-I was under progress.

The official said after the remodeling of Kutchery Chowk and three underpasses, the travel time from the district courts to the Motorway Chowk will reduce to 15 to 20 minutes.

He said after completion of the project, the issue of traffic gridlocks would be resolved and it would also help the government run electric buses for commuters.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025