RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has given the green signal to start work on three projects at Kutchery Chowk worth Rs14.737 billion to ease traffic in the city.

A senior official of Punjab Highway department told Dawn that Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) approved the projects at its 17th meeting held in Lahore on August 11.

Under these projects, two flyovers and an underpass will be constructed at Kutchery Chowk worth Rs6.694 billion,an underpass at Iftikhar Janjua Road worth Rs2.798 billion and a flyover and one underpass at Jinnah Parl( Chowl( at a cost of Rs5.245 billion.

He said that the government had asl(ed the department for PC-I to start the projects. For PC-I, the department conductedasurveyofthe areaandfound out that250,000 vehicles passed through theintersection every day.

`Basically, this project is part of the signal-free corridor from Koral Chowk to the Motorway Chowk,` he said, adding that the government had decided to execute the projectin phases.

According to the plan, the corridor will be constructed from Koral Chowk to the Motorway Chowk, and after Kutchery Chowl(intersection, a flyover will be constructed at Ammar Chowk followed by three underpasses on Peshawar Road at Race Course Parl( Chowlc, Army Graveyard Chowk and Chairing Cross.

He said after completion of the work, travellers from Islamabad and Rawalpindi willbeabletoreachIslamabadInternationalAirport via the motorway, adding a new bus service would also be launched for the airport.

He said that a survey would also be conducted for a flyover at Ammar Chowk and after completion of both the projects, traffic flow on Kutchery Chowk, Rashid Minhas Road, Jhelum Road, the Mall, Peshawar Road, old Airport Road and G.T. Road would be eased.

Another senior official said that an additional flyover would be constructed at Ammar Chowk after clearance from the garrison authorities.

The flyover was initially added to the Ammar Chowk remodelling project, but the idea was later dropped. Now the government has decided to retake the project.

He said as the green signal was given by the government, work would be started after the monsoon season.

He said Peshawar Road would also be made a signal-free corridor, adding the government was planning to build more underpasses on The Mall after this project.

Rana Qamar Ali, Executive Engineerof the Highway Department, confirmed to Dawn that the projects worth Rs14 billion had been approved for Rawalpindi and his department would start work after the monsoon season.

He said, basically, these three projects were interconnected aimed to ease traffic. He said after construction of the flyovers and underpasses, there will be no traffic congestions.

About land acquisition, he said they would try their best to make such a design which would require less land around these Hyovers and underpasses and shifting of utility services. However, he said more than 20 kanals would be acquiredfor these projects.

Fatima Jinnah Women University, Jinnah Parl(, the taxation office complex, commissioner office, police lines and some private land will be acquired for the projects. He said the district administration will start the process to get the land from these government departments. He said mostly state land will be used for the projects.