Punjab Plans New Underpass on Rawalpindi’s The Mall to Ease Traffic
RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government is finalizing arrangements to construct a major vehicular underpass on The Mall directly opposite the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) and Military Hospital, aimed at dismantling persistent traffic bottlenecks in the garrison city.
According to senior district administration officials, a formal project proposal has been submitted to the provincial executive to initiate construction at the busy intersection popularly known as Station Mor. Engineering consultancy firm National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) has submitted an independent technical report endorsing the project, emphasizing that an underpass at this junction is imperative to transforming The Mall and Peshawar Road into a seamless, signal-free corridor running from Koral Chowk up to Motorway Chowk.
The strategic Rawalpindi underpass project forms a pivotal component of an expansive infrastructure modernization initiative currently underway across the district. Alongside this provincial endeavor, the National Highway Authority is actively expanding the crucial roadway stretch extending from Chungi No. 26 toward Motorway Chowk, while the Punjab Highway Department oversees infrastructure linking Ammar Chowk. Urban planners point out that decongesting the intersection fronting major defense and tertiary healthcare institutions will drastically reduce emergency transit times for ambulances, curb carbon emissions, and streamline movement for tens of thousands of daily commuters between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Provincial authorities are expected to issue formal financial and executive approval within weeks, allowing heavy machinery to mobilize by late December. Civil works on the AFIC junction will commence immediately following the anticipated inauguration of two concurrent underpasses currently nearing completion at Race Course Park and Charing Cross, preventing overlapping detours and managing traffic flow across the cantonment corridor.