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ISLAMABAD, Dec 29 (APP):The Multan Divisional Development Working Party (DDWP) has approved a Rs2.8 billion development scheme for a nine-kilometre expansion of Multan Avenue, stretching from Saidanwala Chowk to Sahu Chowk. Officials said the project, part of the Annual Development Programme, is targeted for completion within four months.
According to officials, the initiative has been divided into multiple sections to enhance planning efficiency, ensure optimal resource use, and accelerate execution. They stressed that the segmentation was not intended to circumvent any approval requirements.
The first round of tenders had been cancelled due to a temporary funding shortfall. In the second attempt, tenders were issued following what officials described as “careful financial and technical planning,” resulting in savings of approximately Rs900 million compared with the earlier process. All work packages were vetted and approved under standard procedures, they added.
The project is being executed under the supervision of NESPAK, with the Divisional Commissioner and senior officers conducting regular inspections. Construction is being carried out in line with approved designs and engineering specifications.
Under the plan, the existing dual carriageway will be widened from two to three lanes in each direction. Tuff pavers will be installed to reduce dust, while 260 LED streetlights — the corridor’s first — will be erected along the route. Gateways and monuments are also planned as aesthetic elements.
To ease congestion, the scheme includes off-street parking for 1,890 vehicles, along with 16-foot-wide service roads on both sides of the avenue — a new feature for this route. Paved medians will help streamline traffic, and landscaped green corridors are intended to improve the avenue’s visual appeal.
Pedestrian walkways, safe crossing points, and repositioned electricity poles — shifted to the extreme edge of the Right of Way to minimize safety hazards and future relocation costs — are also part of the design improvements.
Environmental enhancement forms a major component of the scheme. Fourteen-foot-wide green parkways will be created along both service roads, forming 18 kilometres of continuous landscaped space. Additional green belts with iron grills will be developed near parking zones.
The avenue will also feature benches, walking tracks, open-air gyms, decorative lighting, gazebos, fountains, and artistic installations. Officials said the green parkways are designed as multi-use zones integrating parking, recreation, and landscaping to improve traffic flow and discourage encroachments along the corridor.