ISLAMABAD: The Kashmir Chowk Underpass has almost been completed in a record time and will be inaugurated on Thursday or Friday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of the underpass worth Rs1.4 billion on October 6 and the project has been completed in a record time of 28 days.
According to the CDA, the underpass is a major infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving mobility and further strengthening Islamabad’s road network.
“The project has been completed and final asphalt (top layer) will be laid on Wednesday before lane marking. Horticulture work is being given final touches. The project will be completed by tomorrow (Wednesday) evening. If the government asks for its inauguration on Thursday it could be done. But there are certain chances that the inauguration will be held on Friday,” said an engineer of CDA.
If govt asks for its inauguration on Thursday, it can be done, says CDA official
CDA officials said that the project was likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
After its opening, traffic coming from the Faizabad side will pass through the rooftop of the underpass while traffic from Serena will use the underpass towards the Faizabad side.
During the construction work, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf visited the site many times to push construction company and CDA teams for its early completion.
CDA officials said that the project is going to set a new record of completion time as it will be opened for traffic after 28 days.
Earlier, at the groundbreaking ceremony last month, the CDA chairman had informed the prime minister the project had been finalised at a cost of Rs1.4 billion, reduced from the initial estimated cost of Rs1.6 billion.
CDA said the Kashmir Chowk junction, before the construction of the underpass, handled approximately 107,000 vehicles, resulting in frequent traffic congestion, delays and traffic conflicts, particularly during VIP movements and peak hours.
Besides the underpass, four slip roads are also part of the project. Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister had appreciated the interior minister and his team for launching the project. He said that road projects helped reduce travelling time and benefit the general public, including students, to reach their destination at the shortest possible time.
Meanwhile, the interior minister said that under the PM’s vision Islamabad was being developed on modern lines ahead of the next year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference, adding the underpass project was part of that preparation. He said after completion of the underpass and ongoing Expressway expansion project, travelling distance from Islamabad to Rawalpindi will be significantly reduced.
Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2026
