GUJRAT: The city`s main entrance and exit artery, Rehman Shaheed Road, has been completely closed for the traffic due to digging for laying sewerage.

Since the closure on Monday morning, the downtown areas, particularly the Circular Road, Qamar Sialvi Road, Jinnah Road, Alipura Road and adjoining streets, have been witnessing long queues of vehicles and gridlocks at several points.

`The critical situation may last for the next few months as the closure of the Rehman Shaheed Road may continue until June,` a senior administrative official said while talking to Dawn.

He added that the administration was fully aware of the difficulties being faced by the citizens but such a closure was unavoidable due to heavy risks involved in letting the vehicles ply even on one side of the dual carriageway.

However, the citizens have been perplexed due to the traffic jams in the city`s main commercial hub, the Circular Road, and adjoining markets as even use of motorbikes toreach those areas has become a daunting task for them, said a senior medical practitioner belonging to Shadman Colony.

He added that the administration, traffic police as well as the municipal corporation should remain alert for the smooth flow of traffic on the alternate routes since illegalencroachments, parking and violation of traffic rules could further aggravate the miseries of the citizens.

Due to the closure of Rehman Shaheed Road, the traffic is also passing through the residential localities, causing a great deal ofinconvenience to the residents of those areas.Deputy Commissioner Safdar Virk said the traffic police and other departments concerned had already been alerted to remain active on the alternative routes to avoid any further inconvenience. He appealed to the people to cooperate with the administration in these circumstances.Mr Virk said since Rehman Shaheed Road was being dug from the point of median that`s why both sides of the carriageway could not be used for traffic as opening it for traffic might cause any loss of human life as vehicles could get stuck in the dug-up area.

He said some major uplift schemes, including maintenance and repair of roads, was also underway and hopefully the city`s infrastructure would improve within the current year.

Meanwhile, the DC has also chaired a meeting of the authorities concerned and issued directions to avoid any traffic gridlocks in the city.

The sewerage is being laid from Bhimbher storm water channel on the GT Road to Shadman Chowk on the Rehman Shaheed Road for the last seven to eight months after work remained suspended on it for more than a year.

PTI leader Chaudhry Moonis Elahi had got the scheme approved from the PTI-led Punjab government at least three years ago and its execution was launched two years back but the work was stopped when the Punjab Assembly was dissolved in January 2023.