Rawalpindi is set to begin major traffic improvements next month as the Punjab Communication and Works Department finalises preparations for three new underpasses on Peshawar Road. The project, worth Rs8 billion, aims to reduce heavy congestion across one of the busiest routes in the city and is part of a larger plan to create a completely signal free corridor from Ammar Chowk to Motorway Chowk.
The underpasses will be built at Race Course Park Square, Army Graveyard Square, and Chairing Cross. According to officials, work orders for the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) will be issued in December, allowing construction to officially start in January. Authorities have directed traffic police to prepare diversion routes before the end of the month to manage the daily flow of more than 250,000 vehicles that use this stretch.
FWO is already engaged in the remodeling of Kutchery Chowk, which falls under the wider Rs30 billion corridor plan. Senior officials said the new underpasses will help traffic move smoothly through the high load intersections without long wait times.
“The preparations are complete, and construction will kick off in January,” confirmed Executive Engineer Rana Qamar Saqib, adding that the government aims to complete this phase within three months.
The province is also investing heavily in related infrastructure, including over Rs14 billion for Kutchery Chowk, Rs6 billion already spent on the GPO Chowk underpasses, and a planned flyover at Ammar Chowk costing around Rs3.45 billion, for which PC-I documents are being drafted. Officials say these upgrades will significantly improve travel time, safety, and road efficiency across Rawalpindi once completed.