Rawalpindi’s Peshawar Road set for major upgrade with three new underpasses

Construction of three additional underpasses at Qasim Market, Race Course and Charing Cross on Peshawar Road Rawalpindi is expected to begin either in the last week of this month or the first week of December, officials said. The project is estimated to cost Rs7.20 billion.

The new underpasses are part of a broader Rs14 billion infrastructure initiative at Kachehri Chowk, which includes three flyovers and three underpasses. Work on the project is moving swiftly, with authorities aiming to complete all components by June 2026.

Officials said the signal-free corridor from Kachehri Chowk to Motorway Chowk should become operational by June or July next year. Kachehri Chowk serves as a key junction, linking Jinnah Park Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Iftikhar Janjua Road, Mall Road and Jhelum Road.

To tackle growing traffic congestion, the plan also involves road expansions alongside the construction of the flyovers and underpasses. The C&W Department is overseeing the work, which is being carried out around the clock, while the Frontier Works Organisation serves as the main contractor.

Following the completion of underpasses at TM Chowk and GPO Chowk, the C&W Department has invited bids from contractors to build the new underpasses at Qasim Market, Race Course and Cheering Cross. Tenders are scheduled to be opened this week, after which contracts will be awarded.

C&W sources said the strategy is to carry out the construction of these underpasses alongside the ongoing Kachehri Chowk project so that the eight-month timeline, set to conclude in June 2026, can be maintained.