LAHORE: Remodeling of the Pine Avenue – Lahore’s growing economic and business corridor— is being planned, with provision of state-of-the-art civic facilities, including an underpass at an intersection connecting New Defence Road and other localities.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has also sent the proposal to construct an underpass at the Pine Avenue to the Punjab government for approval under the upcoming Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year 2026-27, according to a senior official.
“We have planned construction of an underpass at the Pine Avenue that connects New Defence Road at Shanu Baba Chowk, near a franchise of a known food chain. For this, we will have to remove the existing roundabout at this intersection,” LDA Director General Tahir Farooq told Dawn on Sunday.
“As the construction of this proposed underpass will help ensure smooth traffic flow, we have sent this project to the government for approval under the ADP 2026-27,” Mr Farooq says.
Proposal for construction of an underpass sent to Punjab government
When asked about the possibility of the construction of the underpass on Defence Road at this intersection, instead of the Pine Avenue, the DG says there are some technical issues related to right of way, passage of heavy traffic etc, if the underpass is constructed on Defence Road and the traffic heading towards, Velencia and and Qadir Tobash intersections, Khayaban-e-Jinnah and Johar Town from the Ring Road interchange, Lake City and DHA Phase-11 (Rahber) passes over the underpass. “So far, the underpass is planned on the Pine Avenue (Shanu Baba Chowk). But despite all this, we can look into the proposal of underpasses on Defence Road in depth,” he adds.
The Pine Avenue is considered Lahore’s fast growing economic and financial corridor, connecting several roads and localities with each other. Initially, its total length was over 4km (from Valencia Chowk roundabout to Ring Road interchange via DHA-Rahber). But later, a 1.25km-long stretch, from Qadir Tobash Chowk to Valencia Chowk, was also made part of this road. Later, two long road stretches—first from Ayub Chowk (Johar Town) to Qadir Tobash Chowk structure plan road and second from the structure plan road starting from Ring Road interchange (Lake City) to Ferozepur Road via LDA City and other housing schemes, were also included, increasing the Pine Avenue’s total length by 25kms.
About other developmental interventions aimed at remodeling the Pine Avenue, he said that various proposals are being worked out in this regard. “We are also planning removal of the concrete dividers separating the service road from the main Pine Avenue; first at the stretch from Qadir Tobash Chowk to the roundabout, where the underpass’ construction is planned. This will widen the road from six to eight lanes. “The service lanes on both sides will have a beautiful design, having reflector studs (cat-eyes), to keep the traffic speed slow,” the DG says.
He says that a couple of pedestrian bridges are also being planned on the Pine Avenue—one in front of the under-construction Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital— the Punjab government’s mega flagship project, and the other at any spot of the avenue’s stretch from Shanu Baba Chowk to Ring Road interchange. “Besides, we are also planning speed breakers, along with the installation of pelican traffic signals, to facilitate pedestrians, especially for those visiting the cancer hospital. Some green areas are also being planned on both sides of the Pine Avenue, with plantation of trees and saplings. These green areas will have beautiful benches, where people can sit and enjoy the greenery and the city life,” Mr Farooq explains.
Talking about other projects, the DG says a proposal to construct an elevated expressway from Gulberg to Babu Sabu, besides underpasses at Karim Block (Iqbal Town), Kutchehry Chowk and GPO Chowk, has also been sent to the government for approval under the ADP 2026-27.
The LDA has already started working on a proposal to introduce uniform commercialisation on the Pine Avenue. If finalised and approved, the proposal will provide the LDA with huge revenue amounting to Rs134 billion in commercialisation fee in the next five years. The proposal aims at controlling the unplanned and illegal commercialisation on the Pine Avenue, given its strategic importance in terms of connectivity from all sides.
The growing population, development of huge infrastructure, especially the country’s largest cancer hospital to be built by the Punjab government, and several other projects by the private sector, the increasing footfall and the growing number of vehicles passing through it daily have also necessitated this plan.
According to a proposal shared with the LDA’s top authorities, commercial activity had been recommended only for those having plots with 200 feet depth starting from the Pine Avenue.
To start a commercial project, the sponsors/owners will have to leave a 40-feet setback area from the front for parking, adequate pedestrian movement, visual uniformity and other permissible uses under the law. The height of the buildings will be not more than 200 feet, with uniform facade designs as approved by the LDA.
The proposal points out that an area on the Pine Avenue, that has already been commercialised under the ADP, and commercialisation entitlements, has been marked for those who had surrendered their land for the structure plan roads, consisting of nearly 279 kanals. However, the area comprising 89,455 marlas was yet to be commercialised. Besides this, the 8.7km area along its roads, passing through different private housing societies, will also be commercialised.
As per the proposal, the calculation of per marla commercialisation cost had been estimated at Rs15 million, with the total revenue collection over the next five years amounting to Rs134 billion.
Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2026
