Rawalpindi Signal-Free Corridor Plan Scaled Down

Rawalpindi’s Mall Road signal-free corridor project has been revised, with authorities reducing the number of planned underpasses from three to two.

The proposed underpass at Army Graveyard Chowk has been dropped from the project, while the costs of the remaining Race Course and Charing Cross underpasses have increased significantly. The revised project is now expected to be completed by the end of November.

According to the latest revision, the cost of the Race Course Underpass has increased from Rs 3.09 billion to Rs 4.459 billion, an increase of more than Rs 1.36 billion.

Similarly, the cost of the Charing Cross Underpass has risen from Rs 2.58 billion to Rs 3.49 billion, an increase of more than Rs 901 million.

Meanwhile, dropping the Army Graveyard Chowk underpass has reduced the overall project cost by around Rs 1.084 billion.

The revised cost structure has reportedly been approved by the Provincial Development Working Party.

Instead of building an underpass at Army Graveyard Chowk, the intersection has been remodelled and linked with Peshawar Road through Double Road.

According to officials, this has allowed the intersection to be expanded while providing signal-free right of way for traffic moving towards Peshawar Road.

Once the Race Course and Charing Cross underpasses are completed, authorities expect a signal-free corridor to extend from Motorway Chowk to Chungi No. 2.

The route will build on previously completed infrastructure, including underpasses at Saddar TMA Chowk and KPO Chowk, along with the underpasses and flyovers constructed at Kachehri Chowk, now called Maarka-e-Haq Square.

For motorists in Rawalpindi, the revised plan means one less underpass than originally proposed, but authorities are still aiming to improve traffic flow along one of the city’s busiest routes.

What do you think about the revised plan? Will the redesigned Army Graveyard Chowk be enough to manage traffic without an underpass? Let us know in the comments.