Chandni Chowk Flyover adds to traffic congestion

* DCO says another flyover at Sixth Road Chowk in pipeline to improve situation

RAWALPINDI: Chandni Chowk Flyover built at a cost of Rs 1.25 billion has been creating more congestion on the busy Benazir Bhutto Road than before, as it is choking traffic at various traffic signals.

The traffic police and district administration have been unable to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on the road from Benazir Bhutto Hospital to Committee Chowk.

This is because the traffic, after passing the newly constructed flyover, gets stuck at Naz Cinema, Waris Khan, Kohati Bazaar and Taili Mohala.

The authorities have set up a surveillance centre on the rooftop of roadside plaza at Chandni Chowk to monitor the timing and intensity of traffic following the construction of the flyover.

The traffic police found that two U-turns on the road were causing the problem – at Naz Cinema and at Kohati Bazaar.

Traffic moves smoothly from Islamabad, but then gets jammed after crossing the flyover, as the road gets narrow.

To counter the situation, traffic authorities blocked the Naz Cinema U-turn, but it had no effect on the traffic flow.

When contacted, Rawalpindi District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zaffar confirmed that the city administration had been observing post-flyover traffic flow on the busy road.

He said that the U-turn at Naz Cinema was blocked to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the area, adding that if required, the other U-turn at Kohati Bazaar would also be blocked.

Talking about the steps taken to permanently resolve the issue of traffic congestion, the DCO said the chief minister had announced construction of another flyover at the Sixth Road Chowk.

He said the road at the point of Marir Chowk would also be widened under the Railway Bridge by creating two tunnels in order to give more room to traffic.