Islamabad’s Srinagar Highway (Kashmir Highway) has been made signal-free, following a proposal by the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) to the District Administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic Rai Mazhar Iqbal’s suggestion in this regard was commended by CDA Chairman and Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, Amer Ali Ahmed, who ordered its immediate implementation.
Srinagar Highway, which links Islamabad and Rawalpindi with the Islamabad International Airport (IIA), has been turned signal-free with the provision of three protective U-turns to prevent bottlenecks. The modification will save about Rs. 7.5 billion of taxpayers’ money that would otherwise have been spent on building interchanges, flyovers, or four overhead bridges.
The three protective U-turns are the G-9/G-10 Protective U-turn, the Police Lines Protective U-turn, and the G-12 Protective U-turn. The plan by SSP Iqbal was approved and executed within 15 days.
Over 115,000 vehicles will leave and enter Islamabad via the signal-free route that will also be used by all foreign delegates. All foreign guests and dignitaries will utilize the road to reach Islamabad International Airport (IIA), and the Chairman CDA highlighted that it will improve Pakistan’s image internationally.
SSP Traffic stated that it will provide a 60 to 70 percent solution to traffic congestion besides a significant reduction in the time required to drive to Islamabad Airport. It will also save approximately 100,000 hours of travel time besides ensuring a safe road environment. Chairman CDA also remarked that the traveling time to IIA will be halved as a result of this development.
Via The Nation
Literally a poor decision of creating u-turns, it has made life miserable. Long queues of traffic, excessive time, chances of accident, additional consumption 9f fuel are irritants.
I second your views. This money saving will prove more costly in the end. Only underpasses are the solution. These U turns have started creating traffic Mess ups as well as more chances for accidents since the traffic flow has been disturbed due to these unnecessary U turns. I openly object this decision.
I appreciate this idea of dedicated U-Turn on the patron as it was implemented successfully in Peshawar. Due to high speed zone and as a road safety issue I would suggest to install large size cat eyes by replacing the curve stone in the middle of road. These curve stone may become fatal for over speeded vehicle where a new driver can not expect sudden blockage and he would need prior intimation.
The second important cause of installing large cat eyes by replacing curve stone is to give a huge turning depth to long trailers who could run over the large cat eyes when required.
Thanks .
Those are Raised Pavement Markers & Cat Eyes is one type among those.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_pavement_marker
But in case of Raised Markers people will try to change lanes & will disturb lane discipline
Signal free jo accidents ho rahy on ka zimy daar kon hay
Koi flyover nahi
Paidal chlny walon aur bechary bike drivers ka khyal kis ko hay
Ye ha naya pakistan
Jis mein ghreeb aur choty
Logon ka khyal kisi ko nahi.
Roads ki condition buht khraab hay u turns areas mein
Garion ki speed ka koi contorl nahi hay
Zimaa daar authorities ko action lena chaye ,
Fly overs banaaien , speed limits rkhein os k bad signal free ka deceision kamyab rahy ga other wise accidents ko koi nahi rook sky ga
I was first irritated by this change. But was surprised when it only took me 15min from G13 to blue area. A very good initiative. It will definitely save a lot of time and fuel for most of travellers.
Try going to G13 from back of Karachi company( the signal near Laraib Inn)
Very good idea. Please replicate this idea in other roads of Islamabad (where possible).
Please share this plan with Administration of other cities of Pakistan.
What a poor thinking. One thinking of reducing traffic load in major cities by implementing U-turns is living in fools paradise.
This will increase number of accidents and more bottlenecks near Uturns
Poor decision and made traffic misable and these u-turns are waiting for many accident, poor decision by ITP and CDA.
This is proof that such dumb people are sitting on CDA and ITP.
CDA should have advertised the plan properly. Also some option should be provided for G-9 residents.
Time is Money❤️ Masha Allah very Good and intiavtie decision By CDA & ITP.. now just need proper planning for U-Turns and Thier implementation. always B+
Very Good decision
Nice for time being..but it not permanent solution …there should be over headed bridges like on express highway… Govt is not for to save only money but to facilitate the people..
Very poor decision. Now alot of shuffling of cars from right to left and vise versa and awaiting alot of collapses. Very frustrating for those who need to take u turns ….. Pathetic decision and poor management.
Might looks fine to the residents of other cities but a native person would definitely be criticizing this flaw due to an uneven congestion in traffic flow.
I guess its made on political grounds not on logical reasoning.
Overall Islamabad has been cursed with the worst ever roads if compared with a few years back. Don’t know what’s wrong with CDA !
Before it took 10 minutes to go from peshawar more to g11 now thankful to new u turns we have three constant bottlenecks and travel time increased to 20 minutes plus distance.
Earlier only traffic jam was when traffic wardens turned off signals or controlled them manually now the agony is 24/7.
Sometimes saving money is not worth the agony millions other will feel.
I pray that new u turns won’t introduce accidents of vehicles and those of Jay walkers along with mirror less, light less bikes paving their own paths
Agreed 100%
Let’s see how long before we see a repeat of f10 road in front of f9 Park.
2 u turns were made with blocks. Then blocks converted to big cat eyes then those u turns were closed with big blocks and cat eyes removed. At the end no u turns no signal to turn just wastage of money and excess burning of fuel
I wonder if management is run by a 5 yr old or glazed eyes person
A poor decision, most of the people have zero traffic sense and these so called protected U turns are invitation for accidents. Bikers are dwingling between extreme left and extreme right, cars also driving in fast lanes with slowest possible speed as they have to make a u turn after two Kms. Some are awakening from sleep at very last moment and bringing their cars from third /fourth lanes to first inorder not to miss a turn.
Also The path for traffic free signal is very narrow.
Some Bikers are trying to cross the road from green belts and standing with family at previous signal spots thinking how to bypass the blockade and cross the opposite side of highway.
After making U Turns , traffic police is no where to be seen so ensure that people abide traffic rules.
Well-done to those who are behind this idea and the implementer.
IT doesn’t matter how much you follow traffic rules or have good driving skills. Some idiot can mess it up for u due to lack of traffic and basic human sense. May ALLAH keep everyone safe. Ameen
This decision is just one of those that look good on paper but in reality the users of Srinagar Highway will all unanimously agree that these Uturns have to be one of the worst decisions made on this highway.
The highway is 5 lanes with the two leftmost lanes made of old concrete with many cracks and irregularities. Of the three rightmost lanes made of proper asphalt, two of the leftmost lanes have been dedicated to the U-turn, leaving just one asphalt lane and two old concrete lanes for regular traffic.
This creates a bottleneck at every U-turn.
What should have been done was to create bridges like the ones made in Islamabad Expressway.
However, it seems as that the government instead of making progressive decisions, have resorted to cheap ways of fixing problems. These U-turns will, ultimately, have to be removed in favor of flyovers.
The problem is that cheap moves like these look good on paper which is read by many oversea Pakistanis who get the impression that government did something really good.
Very very bad decision. Life has been made miserable. These things work only when the people are disciplined in road sense and this nation is least discipline in their life. A similar bad decision was made when they closed f10 markaz abd F9 park signal.. Now people are going upto mahroof hospital for u turn.
F10 uturn can not be compared, that road is 40 ft a. D sarinager highway is 90 feet, still 50 to 60 feet, 3 lines are open,,,
Logically.. More cars more speed no lights at night 3 to 4 times the volume of passing cars. The width of road doesn’t matter.
Practically, a nation who will just create 5 lanes because look more space and I am in more hurry then everyone else 😕
Meeting international standards, it is mandatory to develop service roads at both sides without any blockage. 60-70% people are using bikes, it is very difficult for bike riders to cross 3-4 road Lines to get access to U-tern and then again to the extreme left side. It will increase the accident ratio. First complete all the pre-requisite of international standards then make the road signal free. The administration should also visit the roads blocked unnecessary by the mafias at different places in Rawalpindi/Islamabad. No one has the authority to block the road for his security or wish.
Signal free jo accidents ho rahy on ka zimy daar kon hay
Koi flyover nahi
Paidal chlny walon aur bechary bike drivers ka khyal kis ko hay
Ye ha naya pakistan
Jis mein ghreeb aur choty
Logon ka khyal kisi ko nahi.
Roads ki condition buht khraab hay u turns areas mein
Garion ki speed ka koi contorl nahi hay
Zimaa daar authorities ko action lena chaye ,
Fly overs banaaien , speed limits rkhein os k bad signal free ka deceision kamyab rahy ga othewise accidents ko koi nahi rook sky ga
Bhai yeh asy he krty rhiengy cz pasa jo khana ha koi ghatiya tareen decision liya gya ha bech o bech uturn dy diya mey 3 dafa lgty lgty bacha hu cz eik dam uturn ata ha byshak sign board ha lkn yeh bna k moat seedhi seedhi kr de ha or upr sy ab g9 g10 ya g11 jana hu tou 2 kilometer agy sy ho k ao
One of the worst decision it is. Cause we live in islamabad and we know the fact a day ago i was traveling towards g13 and almost 3 time i was about to get hit by car because of uturn mostly people dont know and it is situated between 2 fast lines. Its a huge disaster for public and shame on authorities and specially so called fake engineer along with architect.
Right decision bit late but it will be fruit full general public especially government officials who go office in morning and back home in evening