Opening Date Revealed for Rawalpindi’s Kutchery Chowk Remodeling Project

The Rs. 19 billion Kutchery Chowk remodeling project in Rawalpindi is nearing completion, with roads on the newly built flyovers and underpasses expected to open for traffic by May 31.

Punjab Highway Department Executive Engineer Qamar Ali Saqib said around 92 per cent of the work has already been completed and the road infrastructure will be handed over to the district administration in the last week of May.

He said construction on the flyovers and underpasses has been finished, while final work on related facilities is now underway. A pedestrian bridge at Kutchery Chowk is also close to completion, while drainage infrastructure is being developed in the area.

According to officials, green belts have largely been completed and trees have already been planted along the roads. Lampposts have also been installed, while cleaning work has started across the project site.

Saqib said the Punjab Communication and Works Department is receiving weekly updates on both the pace and quality of the project, with clear directions to ensure completion within the deadline.

Although the project was originally planned for 18 months, he said the Frontier Works Organization has pushed ahead at a much faster pace and is on track to wrap it up within six months after starting work in the last week of November.

The project includes two flyovers and three underpasses aimed at easing congestion at one of Rawalpindi’s busiest traffic points, where more than 250,000 vehicles pass daily.

Officials said a four-lane flyover has been built between The Mall and Rashid Minhas Road, while an underpass has been developed to connect the old Airport Road with Saddar. Traffic on this stretch alone is estimated at 197,000 vehicles per day.

The Annexy Chowk area near Jinnah Park has also received a flyover and underpass to handle more than 142,000 vehicles daily. In addition, a two-lane underpass from Iftikhar Janjua Road to Kutchery Chowk has been built to manage over 146,000 vehicles each day.

Officials say work on three underpasses on Peshawar Road worth Rs. 8 billion will pick up once Kutchery Chowk is opened to traffic.

Saqib said utility shifting work on Peshawar Road is almost complete and full excavation for the underpasses will begin in June. The new structures are meant to improve traffic flow on a section used by more than 250,000 vehicles daily.