Edhi underpass — a breath of fresh air : New underpass named after the iconic social worker is expected to considerably reduce congestion on Ferozepur Road

The Gulab Devi underpass, renamed after the renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi, which was inaugurated on December 27 by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar is a breath of fresh air for the people living in the surrounding areas of Lahore’s main Ferozepur Road.

It was a gigantic task for Ahmad Hussain, a student of accounting and finance, at the University of Lahore to reach his home at the Pak Arab Housing Society on the main Ferozepur Road when the Gulab Devi underpass was under construction.

During the construction of the underpass, around 132,000 vehicles that usually ply on Ferozepur Road in front of the Gulab Devi Hospital were diverted to the service lane which was in a shambles.

“My car’s suspension [was affected due] to the deteriorated service lane while the Gulab Devi Underpass was under construction”, Hussain recalled, and added that although it was great that the project was completed in time, they should have improved the condition of the service lane keeping in view the diversion of the heavy traffic during the construction phase.

“But now after it is completed it saves a lot of our time and we enjoy a smooth ride while travelling through it”, he concluded.

Jaffar Abbas, a 32-year-old chartered accountant, recalled a sad day in October when he was taking his mother to the Lahore General Hospital in emergency but could not make it due to the traffic logjam near the Gulab Devi Hospital.

“Although I lost my mother but hopefully now, after the construction of the underpass, many others will benefit from it”, said Abbas.

Agreeing with Abbas, Aale Ali, a private ambulance driver apprised Bol News that when the underpass was not constructed there was a lot of traffic in the area and the patients in the ambulances suffered consequently.

“Although the city traffic police ensure that we are given a smooth passage to take the patients to the hospitals, but at times it took a while clearing the road and paving the path for us to move forward and due to such situations, some patients lost their lives while on the way for treatment”, he said.

Network of flyovers & underpasses

CM Buzdar also pointed out in his speech while inaugurating the underpass that the newly built structure will benefit the commuters in general and the patients of the Gulab Devi and General Hospital in particular.

“We have completed the Abdul Sattar Edhi Underpass two months before the deadline for which the director general LDA and the governing body members deserve accolades,” CM Buzdar said while adding that the ceremony has been arranged in the underpass to save public money.

Talking to the journalists at the inauguration ceremony, Buzdar said the flyover from the Gulberg area to Jail Road has been named after renowned poet Munir Niazi.

He also announced an elevated expressway project of Rs50 billion to facilitate the citizens of Lahore.

“Similarly, Rs6.50 billion would be spent on the construction of multilevel entry and exit points at the Shahdara Morr to resolve traffic problems there,”  the chief minister informed.

He also apprised that the Lahore Development Authority had completed four major projects in the city estimated at Rs2.45bn including the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar underpass, Bab-e-Lahore, and construction of pedestrian bridges at suitable places for the public’s convenience.

Apart from that, more than Rs9.16bn had been spent to complete three major projects in the provincial metropolis, said Buzdar.

Furthermore, he informed that an additional lane is being built at the Lahore Bridge near the Children’s Hospital and the Data Ganj Bakhsh Flyover with a cost of Rs4.90bn, while Rs2.54bn would be spent on the Shahkam Chowk Flyover project.

While highlighting the development projects by his government, Buzdar said the expansion of the Saggian Road will be completed at a cost of Rs3.40bn and the main boulevard Gulberg to Walton Road Defence Chowk will be made a signal-free corridor with the cost of Rs3bn.

“We are also constructing an underpass and flyover at the Karim Block Iqbal Town which will cost us Rs2.90bn and will facilitate hundreds and thousands of commuters,” the chief minister Punjab said.

Syed Ali Khaqan, an engineer, who has to reach his office while traveling through Lahore’s Ferozepur Road which was previously full of congestion and heavy traffic, is now a relieved man. “For me CM Buzdar is a hero as after the construction of this underpass it has been smooth sailing for me and it saves at least half an hour of my time to reach the destination”.