RAWALPINDI, Sept 8: Local commuters, and visitors from Islamabad, should brace for the traffic chaos in the garrison city to worsen in the coming weeks as work is to begin on making it better next week.

Dawn has learnt that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is expected to launch the construction of a flyover on the Benazir Bhutto Road and an underpass on Peshawar Road on September 15.

“That would surely bring great relief to the harassed motorists using the city's two busiest arterial roads,” said a commuter on hearing the news.

But the gain of smoother traffic would not be without pain.

City managers, traffic police and contractors have been at pains to plan diversions to keep the traffic away from the construction sites - between the Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Chandni Chowk for the flyover and at Chur Chowk for the underpass.

While planning the alternative routes, they had to keep in mind the dislocation that shifting of gas, electricity, telephone and water lines would cause all around the construction sites.

Traffic police plan to stop vehicles at Rawat and Ayub Park to inform the drivers about the closure of the two busy arteries in the city. Information about the diversion plan would also be broadcast through radio and cable and published in newspapers.

Senior Traffic Officer Athar Ismail told Dawn that traffic coming from Islamabad would be diverted at Rehmanabad to Kurri Road and Rawal Road to re-enter Benazir Bhutto Road at Moti Mahal for Saddar and beyond.

Traffic coming from Saddar to Benazir Bhutto Road would be diverted to Rashid Minhas Road and from there to Kurri Road and then the 4th Road.

Rerouting the traffic away from Chur Chowk on Peshawar Road proved more problematic as the construction of the underpass there would disconnect vehicular movement between Saddar and Pirwadhai Mor. It has been decided that the traffic heading for Saddar from Pirwadhai Mor would take Misrial Road to rejoin Peshawar Road through Range Road. Traffic in the reverse direction - from Saddar towards Golra Mor - would turn at Qasim Market and take Range Road, Misrial Road for journey towards the Haji Camp and beyond.

One going to areas served by the I.J. Principal Road should take the turn at Dhoke Hassu.

These alternative routes for going to inner city over Peshawar Road are narrow and remain clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic even on normal days. The extra burden of diverted traffic is sure to add to the mess.

“This is quite a big challenge for us. The alternative routes need repairs and to be cleared of encroachments. We may have to call additional traffic police from other districts to manage things,” STO Athar said.

Motorists and other commuters will have to suffer the inconvenience until the two projects are completed.

Hopefully, the Chandni Chowk flyover would be completed in 105 days and the Chur Chowk underpass in 90 days.