RDA Makes Major Change to Murree Road Expansion Project
The Rawalpindi Development Authority has reworked its Murree Road expansion proposal, increasing the planned widening from 15 feet to 20 feet on both sides between Liaquat Bagh and Chandni Chowk and revising the project cost to Rs. 17 billion from the earlier estimate of Rs. 8 billion.
According to an RDA official, the revised plan includes the construction of service roads along the three-kilometer stretch to reduce congestion and improve traffic movement. The authority forwarded the updated proposal to the Punjab government after the district administration recommended changes to the original design. The project now awaits approval for inclusion in the Annual Development Programme. Under the new design, the expansion will require the acquisition of 48 kanals of land, with land procurement alone estimated to cost Rs. 17.7 billion.
The official said surveys for land acquisition are already in progress, while construction will begin after the provincial government releases funds. Once completed, the corridor is expected to become signal-free from Marrir Chowk to Faizabad. Separately, the RDA has proposed two parking plazas under the same development plan. One plaza is planned at Benazir Bhutto Hospital on five kanals of land, with a projected cost of Rs. 1.4 billion anda capacity for 480 vehicles. Another five-storey parking plaza is proposed at Commercial Market Rawalpindi, estimated to cost Rs. 2.6 billion, accommodating 700 vehicles and 100 shops as a combined commercial and parking facility.