he caretaker chief minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, looked joyous as he opened the Cavalry Underpass where the Khalid Butt Chowk had been. Since then, his media machinery hasn’t stopped dubbing the completion of this project in “under two and a half months” a feat.

A large-scale promotional campaign has included hoisting panaflexes on The Mall and other major roads of the city.

“The caretaker chief minister visited the site a number of times. He wanted to make sure it was completed in record time,” says Asim Butt, a resident of Cavalry Ground.

Haroon Saifi, the Lahore Development Authority director, says that completing projects ahead of schedule saves costs. “The Cavalry Underpass was completed in 2.5 months instead of six. This resulted in a 15-percent saving,” he declares.

Earlier, at the inauguration ceremony, CM Naqvi extended his felicitations to the people of Lahore, particularly those in Gulberg and the DHA who had long suffered traffic snarl-ups at the Khalid Butt Chowk. The Cavalry Underpass, which is 540 metres long and 15.8 metres wide, is designed to provide a signal-free corridor from Centre Point to Defence. It is expected to accommodate around 200,000 vehicles daily. This will not only alleviate traffic congestion but also contribute to fuel savings and help improve air quality in surrounding areas, including Gulberg, Kalma Chowk, Cantt, Cavalry Ground and the DHA.

Although the underpass is open to traffic, civil work around the various cross-streets is still going on. Besides, the construction of a flyover on Ghora Chowk is in progress.

Muhammad Bilal, a representative of the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK), the project consultants, is of the view that the traffic flow will not be affected by the construction work. “You can see that there are no curbstones on the roadsides,” he points out. “Also, the footpaths along the underpass are still buried under the construction debris. The contractor is working overtime to complete [the flyover] by next week or so.”

Interestingly, the formal inauguration of the Ghora Chowk Flyover was to take place on December 7.

Work on the Ghora Chowk Flyover as well as the Cavalry Underpass was started simultaneously, in September 2023. This led to traffic disruptions on a daily basis, especially during rush hours, causing much inconvenience to the commuters. It also contributed to air pollution in the city.

It may be mentioned here that work on Ghora Chowk Flyover as well as the Cavalry Underpass was started simultaneously, in September 2023. This led to great traffic disruptions on a daily basis, especially during rush hours, causing much inconvenience to the commuters. It also contributed to air pollution in the city.

The Ghora Chowk is situated at the intersection of Masood Anwari Road and Walton Road. Once completed, the flyover is expected to alleviate traffic congestion, providing a smooth route for 180,000 vehicles a day. Previously, the traffic would frequently clog the intersection leading to Khalid Butt Chowk.

learly, the caretaker government of the Punjab is taking a keen interest in Cantonment/ Walton areas. Now that the Cavalry Underpass is complete, and Ghora Chowk Flyover is nearing completion, work is likely to begin on the remodeling of Walton Road.

A Rs 9.5-billion Walton Road upgrade is set to start in January. This project will further enhance the transportation infrastructure in the area, contributing to improved traffic flow and accessibility.

On December 31, the caretaker government plans to open the Central Business District Main Boulevard. The project is supposed to lessen the traffic load on Ali Zeb and Ferozepur Roads.

Residents of the area believe that vehicles heading towards Walton and the DHA will benefit the most.

“Let’s see how our lives are changed by these new projects,” says Hira Khalid, a resident of the DHA, who daily commutes to her workplace on MM Alam Road. “Frankly, we’d think twice before leaving home because the traffic from Defence Mor till Firdous Market used to be a mess.”

Such projects have a crucial role in addressing traffic issues and enhancing connectivity in the city, but launching a host of them at the same time, isn’t desirable. In October, the Lahore High Court, hearing petitions with regard to combating smog, had imposed restrictions on issuing no objection certificates to development projects until January.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship