Rawalpindi’s signal free project picks up pace
Long burdened by chronic congestion and clogged intersections, Rawalpindi is witnessing a decisive transformation through an ambitious infrastructure drive launched by the Government of Punjab.
The approximately Rs 33 billion initiative aims to turn the garrison city into a largely signal-free corridor, weaving together flyovers, underpasses and the much-awaited ring road to create smoother, faster and safer commutes.
At the core of this mobility overhaul are three flagship schemes: the Kachehri Flyover project, the Jinnah Park flyover and underpasses scheme, and three major underpasses along Peshawar Road. Collectively, these developments are designed to ease traffic flow for nearly two million residents and around 250,000 daily commuters navigating Rawalpindi’s overstretched road network. The Kachehri Chowk remodeling, a multi-billion-rupee venture, targets one of the city’s most persistent bottlenecks. Work on the central scheme has already crossed 60 percent completion and is officially targeted for April 30, with visible acceleration suggesting the possibility of even earlier delivery.
The Jinnah Park project complements this effort by combining grade separation with a Rs1.6 billion parking plaza on previously unused land, addressing illegal parking and congestion in one of the busiest commercial zones. Annexe Chowk and Iftikhar Janjua Road are also being remodeled to strengthen connectivity across adjoining neighbourhoods.
The most technically demanding phase, however, is unfolding along Peshawar Road, the city’s busiest artery linking Ammar Chowk to the Motorway entrance at Chungi No.26. Work has begun for three major underpasses at Race Course Ground (Qasim Market), Army Graveyard Chowk and Charing Cross. Green protective sheets now cover portions of the corridor as heavy machinery works steadily towards establishing a continuous signal-free stretch.
The Race Course underpass, estimated at Rs 3.091 billion, will feature a single-barrel, two-lane structure extending 1,886 feet, alongside nearly three kilometres of road rehabilitation. The Army Graveyard Chowk and Charing Cross underpasses, costing Rs 2.679 billion and Rs 2.958 billion respectively, follow similar engineering models and include road improvements and U-turn facilities to preserve access to GT Road.
Beyond scale and cost, the Peshawar Road initiative reflects environmental consciousness. Instead of cutting down mature roadside trees, a private firm carefully relocated them with roots intact to other parts of the city, ensuring ecological balance and compliance with environmental safeguards. Meanwhile, high-transmission electricity lines are being shifted and elevated onto taller poles so that construction can proceed without disrupting the power supply.
These projects build upon earlier upgrades such as the GPO Underpass in Saddar and the Nawaz Sharif Flyover on Adyala Road, both of which have already improved connectivity. The 38-kilometre Rawalpindi Ring Road, with five interchanges, multiple bridges, overpasses and underpasses, is expected to divert heavy traffic away from the urban core, increase economic activity and open new development corridors. The project, belated, is forecasted to be completed by mid of this year.