RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has green signalled three underpasses in the garrison city on Peshawar Road, worth Rs6 billion, and the construction work is likely to commence next month.

A senior official of the Punjab Highway Department told Dawn that these underpasses will be constructed on Peshawar Road at Race Course Park, Army Graveyard, and Chairing Cross.

“A utility services corridor will also be established where all services, including Sui Gas pipelines, telephone and electricity wires, will be laid. This will help resolve the issue of digging roads permanently,” he said.

He stated that the utility services corridor will extend from Saddar to Pirwadhai Mor, facilitating utility service providers such as electricity, gas, and telephone companies, as well as cantonment boards. These entities will no longer be allowed to dig up the roads and will be restricted to their designated lanes for utility services.

The Punjab government has already allocated Rs2.6 billion for the Race Course Park underpass, Rs1.9 billion for the Army Graveyard underpass, and Rs1.5 billion for the Chairing Cross underpass in the province’s annual development programme for fiscal year 2025-26.

He added that the Punjab Highway Department has submitted the PC-I of these projects, and work is expected to begin next month after the bidding process is completed among government-run construction firms.

He mentioned that work on three other projects, the Katcheri Chowk flyover and underpass, Jinnah Park underpass, and Ammar Chowk flyover, would also commence next month once land acquisition is completed. The provincial government aims to resolve traffic congestion issues at these intersections once and for all, with construction intended to start simultaneously.

He noted that once the new underpasses are built, The Mall and Peshawar Road will be completely signal-free from Katcheri to Motorway Chowk, allowing travellers to cover the route in approximately 20 minutes. When contacted, Rana Qamar Ali, Executive Engineer of the Punjab Highway Department, stated that preparations for the new underpass projects have been completed and that they are likely to be launched next month.

He said the provincial government has instructed to make arrangements to start the work, beginning with the shifting of services on Peshawar Road before construction begins. He emphasised the critical need to construct underpasses to establish a signal-free corridor to the Motorway, enabling smooth travel along the city’s main roads.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2025