Airport expressway

Since the New Islamabad International Airport is located far away from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, there is a need to have hassle-free access to reach the airport. While the Kashmir Highway has been widened and rehabilitated to provide speedy access to the new airport, the portion of N-5 (GT Road) that passes through the Rawalpindi Cantonment and commonly known as the Jhelum, Mall and Peshawar roads in its various stretches also needs urgent improvement, in particular the Mall Road section through the Saddar area. This road suffers traffic jams in the morning and evening. When the new airport becomes operational, all the traffic coming from DHA, Bahria Town, Chaklala, Lalazar, Lal Kurti and various residential areas along the Murree Road and heading towards the airport and vice versa will be using this road.

This will multiply traffic problems if the NHA does not take immediate steps like: a) construction of a properly designed interchange at Kachehry Chowk; b) construction of a four-lane elevated section in Saddar; c) construction of an elevated four-lane section from the Qasim Market/Race Course signal to the Charing Cross signal; and d) construction of an interchange at the Haji Camp/Golra signal.

Engr Hafeez Ullah Awan

Islamabad