RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has planned to rehabilitate Murree Road at a cost of Rs953 million in the next fiscal year and has sent the scheme for inclusion in the Annual Development Programme for 2025-26.

A senior RDA official toldDawnthat there was a dire need to repair the road from Flashman’s Hotel to Faizabad and in this regard, the scheme had been prepared.

He said as The Mall underpass would be completed by the end of June, work on Murree Road would likely start in the next fiscal year.

The official said the provincial government wanted to improve the condition of the main artery of the garrison city, therefore it launched beautification work around Murree Road and simultaneously repair work would be started and people would get a new look of Murree Road.

Road to be repaired from Flashman’s Hotel to Faizabad; work to start after The Mall underpass is completed

It may be mentioned here that carpeting of Murree Road was done in 2016 and in the last nine years, potholes had developed in many areas, especially at Marrir Chowk, Naz Cinema, Chandni Chowk and Shamsabad.

Due to construction work in different parts of the city, motorists are already facing problems. “Vehicles developed faults due to bumpy road and presence of construction material on the main road in Saddar,” said Mohammad Ali, a motorist who daily travels from Liaquat Bagh to Islamabad.

“The government should clear the road where construction work had been completed for example at Saddar in front of KFC, Teli Mohallah, Naz Cinema, Sixth Road, Shamsabad and others,” he said.

Nasir Ali, another motorist, said there was a dire need to repair Murree Road which was the main artery between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. He said traffic congestion was witnessed at many points due to bad condition of the road.

When contacted, RDA Director General Kinza Murtaza toldDawnthat work to repair the main Murree Road would be started in July after construction work on The Mall was completed.

“The civic authority had completed the homework and would start work soon after getting a go-ahead from the Punjab government,” she said, adding that the carpeting and construction of roadside drains would be included in the scheme.

She said the government wanted to complete work on The Mall, however, the RDA had been asked to complete the homework so that work could be started by July.

Apart from this, Ms Murtaza said we have planned to make a new alternative route between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. She said work on Leh Expressway and new route from Chandni Chowk to Siddiqui Chowk would also be started.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025