Ceaseless construction

For years, Lahore’s traffic flow has been hampered by constant roadwork

Lahore: Lahore, the capital of Punjab, has experienced unprecedented growth in recent decades. It could be the building of an overhead bridge at one busy intersection, followed by the building of an underpass bridge at another, all in the name of assisting motorists. However, the constant construction has had an impact on Lahore’s traffic, people’s conduct, and the overall atmosphere.

The construction of an underpass on Multan Road at Samanabad Morr and the renovation of Kalma Chowk have now slowed traffic on almost every road in the city. Everyone, from schoolchildren to office workers, must spend additional minutes or hours commuting in addition to burning precious fuel, regardless of the topography of their living areas.

Fida Hussain, a resident of Gulshan Ravi, works in a media house in Gulberg’s Industrial Area. He claimed to have witnessed the never-ending construction projects firsthand. He recalled the days when the Shehbaz Sharif government began repaving Multan Road in 2009, which he passes on his way to Samanabad Morr every day.

The remodelling work lasted about a year, during which I had to travel extra kilometres and through dust and dirt to get to and from work,” he said.

”Once this was finished, construction on the dual road along the LOS Nullah began, and the short-cut path became a no-go zone once more,” he added.

Shortly after the route was completed, the government began work on the Metro Project in 2011, closing Ferozepur Road to cars. The mass transit project was launched in 2013 ahead of the general elections, but Fida Hussain’s problems worsened when the metro bus corridor shrank the road area, making Ferozepur Road even messier than before. The signal-free Jail Road was the next project that diverted his typical path. When the government closed Multan for the Orange Line Train project, he had to abandon it once more.

”Now I hear that an expressway will be built from Jail Road to Band Road, leaving me in the dark once more. I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life taking detours,” he stated.

Since November of last year, the Kalma Chowk underpass remodelling project at the end of Gulberg Main Boulevard has been under construction, making Askari V, Falcon Society, and other nearby neighbourhoods no-go zones.

The $5 billion project begins at the Kalma Chowk underpass, which is separate from the first underpass entrance, and proceeds through the Lahore central business district before turning into a second underpass and heading into Firdaus Market.

Although the project will eventually transform Gulberg’s main boulevard into a signal-free passageway connecting Centre Point to Jail Road, the lengthy construction phase has left residents powerless. Residents of Askari and Falcon note that they think twice or three times before going out because a three-minute drive to the adjacent Liberty Market has become a one-hour journey.

A local who works in the telecom sector at Gulberg Main Market stated that the Kalma Chowk intersection in nearby Ferozepur is similarly congested. She goes to Muslim Town Morr first, then to Garden Town, and finally to Muslim Town Morr via the Faiz Ahmad Faiz underpass. She then makes a U-turn and travels to her destination via the Qaddafi Stadium Road. The project is managed by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

The authority has shortened deadlines due to frequent road bottlenecks.

According to an LDA spokesperson, the authority worked hard to alleviate commuter concerns in collaboration with traffic police, and the project is currently moving at a rapid pace. The project was supposed to be completed in April, but contractors have been urged to work faster and finish the job ahead of schedule. Similarly, the Rs 2.033 billion Samanabad underpass, which was scheduled to be completed in June, will now be completed in April. Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi, who has personally experienced bottlenecks on these highways, has directed authorities to adhere to deadlines.

The underpass project’s timeline has been pushed back twice. The project began in December with a target date of September 30, but the office of former Chief Minister Parvez Elahi shortened it to June 30. The project’s completion date has now been pushed back to April 30 by the caretaker administration, which has also accelerated work.

Furthermore, on the orders of caretaker chief minister Naqvi, caretaker Minister for Excise, Taxation, Communication, and Works Bilal Afzal visited the Kalma Chowk and Samanabad underpass construction sites and stated that he would inspect the work every third day. The provincial minister stated during his address to the meeting that providing maximum assistance to the public is our top priority. ”I have directed that all relevant departments to collaborate in order to complete this project on time. I believe that this project will revolutionise Lahore’s development landscape,” he maintained.

However, city planners and environmentalists are cautious about the frenzy of building activity. According to Qaswer Abbas, a town planner, the government builds overhead bridges and underpasses to improve traffic flow, but these features contribute to car culture.

”If the government is serious about reducing traffic congestion, it should invest in public transportation,” he stated. The development will come at a cost, according to Dr. Shaker Mahmood Mayo, chairman of the City and Regional Planning Commission, and that cost must be accepted with open arms. Fida Hussain believes that life is short and that much of it should not be wasted navigating new paths. ”With petrol prices so high, every extra mile will strain my finances,” he complained.