Kashmir Chowk Underpass 78 Percent Complete in 20 Days
The Kashmir Chowk underpass in Islamabad is 78 per cent complete after 20 days of construction, Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi said during a visit to the site on Thursday. The Kashmir Chowk underpass 78 percent complete figure puts the project into its final stages, with the minister directing the authorities to finish the remaining work within the stipulated 30-day deadline.
Officials briefed the minister that horticulture, road construction and asphalt work were progressing rapidly, while workers were also installing light poles and fixtures. The minister directed officials to improve the surroundings through landscaping and decorative lighting, and said 6,000 trees would be planted around the project to make the area greener and more attractive.
Kashmir Chowk underpass 78 percent complete: what remains
The underpass is aimed at easing traffic congestion at Kashmir Chowk and improving travel between the twin cities, particularly for motorists heading towards Murree and Muzaffarabad. Naqvi said the project would provide significant relief to people travelling on those routes, and would also make commuting between Rawalpindi and Islamabad easier.
The minister further said steps were being taken to address traffic congestion on the Islamabad Expressway. During a detailed briefing, officials apprised him of ongoing construction activities, progress achieved so far and the expected completion schedule.
The remaining work is the finishing layer of the project: roads, asphalt, horticulture and lighting, rather than the main structure. That is consistent with the pace officials reported earlier in the week. Feature Pakistan reported on the underpass project as work gathered pace in the capital.
A fast build, measured against its own deadline
The project was launched on October 6 at a cost of Rs1.4 billion. By October 28, when Naqvi visited the site during the inauguration of the Islamabad Model Jail, officials put physical progress at about 75 per cent after 18 days. The minister said then that the underpass could be completed in less than 30 days if work continued at the current speed, and CDA officials said they expected to finish before November 5.
The new figure, 78 per cent after 20 days, keeps the project on that track, with the remaining work now at the finishing stage rather than the main structure.
For commuters, the test is not the percentage but the opening. Kashmir Chowk carries traffic between Rawalpindi and Islamabad and onward to Murree and Muzaffarabad, so a finished underpass would remove one of the city’s regular bottlenecks. The plantation of 6,000 trees and the decorative lighting are part of the same promise: a junction that works better and looks better than the construction site it replaced.
If the deadline holds, the underpass should be finished within days. The next update that matters will be the opening date, not another progress percentage.
Frequently asked questions
How complete is the Kashmir Chowk underpass?
Officials say 78 per cent of the construction work has been completed within 20 days.
When will the underpass be finished?
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed that it be completed within the stipulated 30-day deadline, and CDA officials earlier said they expected to finish before November 5.
What will the underpass improve?
It is aimed at easing traffic congestion at Kashmir Chowk and improving travel between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, particularly for motorists heading towards Murree and Muzaffarabad.
What else is planned around the underpass?
Landscaping, decorative lighting and the plantation of 6,000 trees around the project.
