Rawalpindi’s most congested intersection has been transformed. On May 10, 2026, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz formally inaugurated the Kutchery Chowk Remodeling Project and officially renamed the landmark junction Marka-e-Haq Square.
The Rs 19 billion mega infrastructure project was finalised in record six months. Though it was an 18-month project, the FWO completed it within seven months. For the hundreds of thousands of motorists, lawyers, students, and commuters who endured months of diversions and construction disruption, relief has finally arrived.
Why Kutchery Chowk Needed This Overhaul
More than 250,000 vehicles pass through Kutchery Chowk every day, with frequent congestion caused by traffic signals at Police Annexe, Kutchery and University Chowks. Kutchery Chowk connects some of Rawalpindi’s busiest movement corridors, serving daily commuters, car owners, bikers, school-run parents, office workers, ride-hailing drivers, delivery riders, and public transport users. The Kutchery Chowk remodeling project is part of the Signal-Free Corridor from Ammar Chowk to Motorway Chowk. This overhaul was not just a local road fix — it was a critical link in a city-wide plan.
Project at a Glance: Key Facts
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total Cost | Rs19 billion |
| Executing Agency | Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) |
| Construction Start | Late November 2025 |
| Inauguration Date | May 10, 2026 |
| Original Timeline | 18 months |
| Actual Duration | 6–7 months |
| New Official Name | Marka-e-Haq Square |
| Structures Built | 2 flyovers, 3 underpasses, 2 pedestrian steel bridges |
Official Inauguration: May 10, 2026
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the Rawalpindi Kutchery Chowk remodelling project, which has officially been renamed Marka-e-Haq Square. After the inauguration, Maryam Nawaz visited the signal-free corridor and inspected the overhead bridge and nearby roads. She also reviewed progress on the Annexe Chowk to GPO Chowk signal-free corridor project.
Maryam Nawaz told the audience the signal-free corridor would transform the urban culture of Rawalpindi. Participants of the ceremony said the project would improve access to Fatima Jinnah Women University and Civil Secretariat.
Completed in Record Time: FWO Delivers in Six Months
The Frontier Works Organization (FWO), which began construction in late November, completed the project within six months. For quality assurance, the FWO and the Punjab Communication and Works Department had formed teams to check materials at all stages. 3 In view of the difficulties faced by the citizens, the government decided to complete the project a year earlier. Work was carried out in double shifts for early completion so that the public faced minimum inconvenience.
The accelerated delivery is a notable institutional achievement. A project contracted for 18 months was handed over to the district administration in approximately half that time — without compromising structural quality.
Read more: Steady progress in Rawalpindi’s signal-free corridor project
What Was Built: Full Structure Breakdown
The scheme includes two flyovers, three underpasses and two steel bridges.
Marka-e-Haq Flyover and Underpass
A four-lane flyover has been constructed between The Mall and Rashid Minhas Road, while the underpass connecting Old Airport Road to Saddar is 26.5 feet wide and designed to handle approximately 197,000 vehicles daily.
Jinnah Flyover and Jinnah Underpass (Annexe Chowk)
The Annexe Chowk, also known as Jinnah Park flyover and underpass, are expected to accommodate more than 142,000 vehicles each day. The flyover has been constructed between Mushtaq Baig Shaheed Road and the old Airport Road, while an underpass has also been built from Kutchery Chowk to Mushtaq Baig Shaheed Road.
Iftikhar Janjua Underpass
A single-barrel, two-lane underpass has been constructed to manage 146,252 vehicles daily from Iftikhar Janjua Road to Kutchery Chowk. It is 18 feet high and 26.25 feet wide.
Pedestrian Bridge and Utility Corridor
The project also included the construction of the first modern pedestrian bridge at Marka-e-Haq Square. Utility services have been shifted to a dedicated service corridor — a feature that both improves road aesthetics and protects critical infrastructure from future road damage.
The Cost Revision: From Rs14 Billion to Rs19 Billion
The total cost of the Kutchery Chowk remodeling project increased from Rs14 billion to Rs19 billion, as the Communication and Works Department submitted a revised PC-I to the Planning and Development Board for approval.
There are four main reasons for the increase: additional pedestrian bridges added to the project which cost more than Rs 1.5 billion; more land acquisition made to widen the roads and curves; aesthetic work on underpasses and flyovers; and shifting of utility services to a dedicated service corridor. Land acquisition played a major role in pushing up costs. Authorities acquired additional land at prevailing market rates from multiple sources to facilitate road widening and improve traffic flow across the junction.
The cost escalation was driven by scope expansion — a larger and better-equipped project than originally planned — rather than mismanagement.
Traffic Management During Construction
The City Traffic Police chalked out an alternative diversion plan to facilitate the public during the construction work on the mega project. Farhan Aslam, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO), said additional traffic police officers and officials were deployed at key points in three shifts to facilitate commuters.
Officials confirmed the project would significantly improve traffic movement for daily commuters who faced months of congestion, diversions, and construction-related disruptions since work began in November 2025. Businesses operating near the construction zone also hoped commercial activity would recover after months of disruption caused by road closures and heavy machinery operations.
The Jinnah Park Parking Plaza and Marka-i-Haq Monument
A modern parking plaza is also being constructed in Jinnah Park at a cost of Rs1.6 billion. 3 Proposals for setting up parking plazas in five more locations, including Saddar and Cantonment areas, have also been sent to the higher authorities. A monument is being constructed in Baggi (horse carriage) Park at Kutchery Chowk in front of Fatima Jinnah Women University.
The Frontier Works Organisation has been assigned the task of establishing the Marka-i-Haq Monument on The Mall. A monument has been constructed in Baggi Park at Kutchery Chowk in front of Fatima Jinnah Women University, which was also inaugurated by the Punjab Chief Minister.
What Comes Next: Peshawar Road Underpasses
The completion of Marka-e-Haq Square triggers the next phase of Rawalpindi’s urban transformation. Officials say work on three underpasses on Peshawar Road worth Rs 8 billion will pick up once Kutchery Chowk is opened to traffic. Utility shifting work on Peshawar Road is almost complete and full excavation for the underpasses will begin in June.
According to officials, 250,736 vehicles use that section every day, and the underpasses are expected to improve the flow of traffic in the area. An underpass is also proposed on Double Road, Ninth Avenue, while a flyover at Ammar Shaheed Chowk and an underpass at AFIC Chowk will also be constructed.
The Bigger Vision: Signal-Free from Marka-e-Haq to Motorway Chowk
After completion of the three underpasses on Peshawar Road, a completely signal-free corridor from Marka-e-Haq Square to Motorway Chowk will become available, ensuring uninterrupted traffic flow towards Islamabad Airport, Peshawar, Lahore and Hazara Motorway through this route. Urban planning expert Dr. Taimur Khan said that signal-free corridors can significantly reduce travel time if supported by proper traffic management and enforcement. “Large intersections in growing cities require long-term planning because vehicle numbers continue to rise every year,” he said.
Keeping in view Rawalpindi’s status as the twin city of the federal capital Islamabad, work is underway on plans to modernise and expand road infrastructure to cope with increasing traffic pressure in the present and future.
For Rawalpindi, a city of over 2 million people that shares a metropolitan footprint with the federal capital, the completion of Marka-e-Haq Square is more than a road project. It is the anchor point of a signal-free future that will eventually run uninterrupted from the garrison city’s judicial heart to the motorway networks connecting Islamabad Airport, Lahore, Peshawar, and the Hazara Expressway.