The Punjab Highway Department has asked National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) to review the design of three underpasses planned on Peshawar Road within two days so construction can begin in the first week of April.
According to Highway Department Superintending Engineer Ashfaq Sulehri, the Rs8 billion project is expected to start soon and be completed before the upcoming monsoon season.
Officials said the design had already been approved by the Planning and Development Department of Punjab, but NESPAK was asked to reassess it to ensure smooth traffic flow between Saddar Rawalpindi and Qasim Market Rawalpindi.
The department also plans to widen link roads near the underpasses to prevent traffic bottlenecks, drawing on lessons learned from similar projects in Lahore.
Initial work to shift utility services has already begun. Agencies, including Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, have been asked to relocate infrastructure quickly.
Electricity pylons between Racecourse Park and Chairing Cross have already been shifted, while lampposts and water supply lines will be relocated soon.
Officials said traffic on Peshawar Road will not be completely closed during construction. At least one lane on each side will remain open to keep vehicles moving along one of the busiest roads in Rawalpindi.
Alternative routes have also been identified, and the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board has been asked to complete patchwork on nearby roads to minimize disruption for motorists.
Authorities are also working on acquiring additional land to build service lanes from Radio Pakistan Rawalpindi to Rafay Mall Rawalpindi.
More than 40 kanals of land will be acquired under Section 4, including 15 feet of land from the traffic police offices for road expansion. Most of the land reportedly belongs to military authorities, while a few properties are privately owned.
Officials expect the land acquisition process to be completed within two to three weeks.
The three underpasses are being built to manage traffic on Peshawar Road, where over 250,000 vehicles travel daily, making it one of the busiest corridors in Rawalpindi.