- Advertisement -
RAWALPINDI, Oct 27 (APP):The Punjab government has started its mega project of construction of three underpasses and two flyovers aimed to combat increased traffic mess at Katchery Chowk, Jinnah Park (Annexy Chowk) on Airport Road and Iftikhar Janjua Chowk on G.T. Road. Collectively approved by the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP), these projects bear a combined estimated cost over Rs. 13.3343 billion.
The project will overhaul the commute between within and without seamless traffic connectivity where estimated 482,000 vehicles navigate daily. Frontier Works Organization (FWO) is executing the projects. Initial work has started for which piling tests are underway at the site conjoining Fatima Jinnah Women university and the the district courts.
At the heart of the mega trio-project is Katchery Chowk, which is solely handling approximately 200,000 vehicles per day while linking Saddar, Annexy, Rashid Minhas Roads and the Mall Road from/towards GT Road. The Rs. 5,974 million scheme includes a 1,394-foot underpass for Saddar-bound traffic from Annexy Chowk (Jinnah Park), and a four-lane divided flyover (two lanes per direction) spanning a 56.5-foot width. At-grade upgrades will rehabilitate 2.97 kilometers of slip roads, as per the docs received by APP.
Land acquisition stands at 24.2 kanals for the single core section at Katchery chowk.
At the Jinnah Park project on Old Airport Road with experiencing 142,035 vehicles per day, a 1,263-foot underpass will be facilitating Mushtaq Baig Shaheed Road-bound traffic from Katchehry, along with a 1,509-foot two-lane flyover to Airport Road. Over 2.22 kilometers of at-grade rehabilitation will enhance connectivity. For this, 5.95 kanals land has been acquired.
Iftikhar Janjua Chowk on G.T. Road addresses over 146,000 vehicles per day where single-barrel two-lane underpass (1,165 feet long, 26.25 feet wide, 18 feet clear height) will be constructed for Katchehry-bound traffic flowing from Iftikhar Janjua Road.
A 1.56-kilometer at-grade revamping is also included in the project for which a total of 4.28 kanals of land have been acquired.
After the completion of the tri-schemed project of underpasses and flyovers, the city will entirely change the commute lanscape.
Rana Qamar Ali, Executive Engineer (EXEN) Punjab Highway told APP that an amount of Rs.1.5 billion have been paid for the acquired land surrounding the main Katchehry Chowk.
He informed that the flyover at Katchehry Chowk will facilitate the Rashid Minhas Road-bound traffic entering from GT Road towards Marir Chowk, as well as the reverse flow from Marir Chowk to GT Road towards Rawat. The Sadar-bound commuters from Old Airport Road would get underpasses at Jinnah Park and Katchehry Chowk.
Similarly, the 3 protected U-turns are also part of the project at Katchehry section of the project.
The important challenge ahead rests with the diversion plan for which Rawlapindi Traffic Police has devised a comprehensive uninterrupted plan with alternate routes.
According to the plan traffic from Rawat T-Chowk heading towards the Old Airport will use the Bahria Town Phase-I and Gulraiz Town routes via Bostan Khan Road to reach Car Chowk. This route further gives option to cross over to the Islamabad Express Highway through PWD Road.
Traffic from Jhelum Road heading to Peshawar Road, the New Islamabad Airport or the Motorway will be diverted via Morgah Turn and Attock Oil Refinery Road, and then through Defence Road and the Khawaja Corporation flyover to reach School Road, continuing to Kalma Chowk and Bakra Mandi Road to 22 Number Chowk.
Traffic from Jhelum Road bound for Saddar will pass through New Lalazar, Foundation University and Rah-e-Aman Road, exiting at COD Chowk, before reaching CMH Emergency Gate and Family Ward to 22 Number Chowk.
Vehicles from Jhelum Road heading to Murree Road will follow the COD Turn, Nazr Chowk, Burki Chowk and Shalimar Chowk reaching Murree Road via TM Chowk.
Traffic from the Old Airport to Murree Road will move under Rahimabad Bridge via Rawal Road.
Vehicles from the Old Airport to Saddar will travel through Rawal Road, Fauji Tower and Tipu Road, reaching Moti Mahal Chowk and Saddar via Marrir Chowk.
The diversion plan is all set to be implemented as soon as the initial civil works on the project floats on the main roads.