Rawalpindi sets November 2026 deadline for Rs8bn Peshawar Road underpasses
The Rawalpindi divisional administration has ordered the Communication and Works Department to complete two underpasses on Peshawar Road by November 2026, with construction on the Rs8 billion project now about 60 per cent finished. The Rawalpindi underpasses deadline was announced by Commissioner Salman Ghani during a visit to the construction sites at Race Course Chowk and Charing Cross, where he asked officials to keep up the pace of work without compromising quality.
The superintending engineer of Highway Circle No 1 briefed the commissioner on the status of both projects. He said major structural work, including piling, deck slabs and capping beams, had been completed. Teams are now working on barriers, excavation, utility relocation, drainage and road development.
What the Rawalpindi underpasses deadline covers
The deadline applies to the two remaining underpasses of a project that has already been cut down once. The original scheme included three underpasses near Race Course Park, Army Graveyard and Charing Cross. Authorities later scaled the plan back to two, dropping the Army Graveyard underpass in favour of an at-grade road crossing. The revised scheme is still scheduled for completion by the end of November.
Costs were revised upward too: the Race Course Underpass rose from Rs3.09 billion to Rs4.459 billion, while Charing Cross went from Rs2.58 billion to Rs3.49 billion, the Express Tribune reported on October 4.
With roughly 40 per cent of the work still to go, the administration has told the executing agency to keep up the pace while strictly following quality standards.
How the two underpass designs work
The two structures serve opposite directions of traffic on Peshawar Road. The Race Course Underpass will carry northbound traffic through two underpass lanes, with three-level road lanes for movement and turning at the junction. The Charing Cross Underpass will serve southbound traffic, with two underpass lanes and two-level road lanes.
Beyond the underpasses, the project includes rehabilitation and widening of the road between Bungalow No 276 and Raffay Mall. Utility services are being shifted underground to remove roadside obstructions and improve traffic flow.
The Frontier Works Organisation is executing the work and has built an alternative road along Peshawar Road to keep traffic moving during construction, Bloom Pakistan reported.
Disruption along the corridor: schools and buses
The construction has already caused disruption along Peshawar Road. Bloom Pakistan reported that schools between Race Course Park and Raffay Mall have been directed to conduct online classes for two months, and that two electric bus routes, connecting Saddar with Bhatta Chowk and Motorway Chowk, have been suspended over traffic concerns.
The dust from excavation and heavy machinery has added to air quality worries at a time when Punjab is already struggling with smog season. The commissioner ordered officials to implement anti-smog measures to control dust and air pollution at the construction sites, as part of the province’s wider anti-smog effort. The risk is real: Lahore’s air quality index has hit hazardous levels during past smog seasons.
What completion means for Peshawar Road commuters
For daily commuters, the payoff is a signal-free corridor. Once the two underpasses open, motorists should travel from Motorway Chowk toward the city without stopping at the two busiest junctions on Peshawar Road. The wider 25-kilometre signal-free corridor is designed to cut travel time from the Islamabad Expressway to Motorway Chowk to between 15 and 20 minutes, Dawn reported in September.
The underpasses are part of a larger road-building effort around the twin cities. Rawalpindi’s 38 kilometre Ring Road has itself faced delays over incomplete toll plazas, so meeting the November deadline would be a clear win for the corridor.
The test will be whether the final 40 per cent of work, including drainage, barriers and road surfacing, can be finished in the remaining weeks without the quality problems that have delayed other projects.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Rawalpindi underpasses open?
The administration has set November 2026 as the deadline for completing both underpasses.
What is the cost of the underpasses project?
The two underpasses are being built at a cost of about Rs8 billion: Rs4.459 billion for Race Course and Rs3.49 billion for Charing Cross.
Which underpass serves northbound traffic?
The Race Course Underpass will carry northbound traffic through two lanes, with three-level road lanes for turning. The Charing Cross Underpass will serve southbound traffic.
Why was the third underpass dropped?
The proposed underpass at Army Graveyard Chowk was removed from the scheme to control costs. The chowk was instead linked to Peshawar Road through Double Road and remodelled.
