{
  "id": 15350092,
  "title": "Construction of underpass in front of Rawalpindi's Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology begins",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/construction-of-underpass-in-front-of-rawalpindis-armed-forces",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T04:25:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2037876/construction-of-underpass-in-front-of-rawalpindis-armed-forces-institute-of-cardiology-begins"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "RAWALPINDI: Plans are underway for the construction of an underpass in front of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) and the Military Hospital on The Mall, according to a senior official from the district administration. The proposal was sent to the Punjab government to address the heavy traffic on The Mall, commonly known as Station Mor. The official informed that National Engineering and Services Pakistan (Nespak) had reported to the government the necessity of constructing the underpass to eliminate signals from Koral Chowk to Motorway Chowk. Once the government gives the go-ahead, work on the project is expected to begin by the end of December, following the completion of two underpasses at Race Course Park and Charing Cross. The National Highway Authority is already working on expanding the road from Chungi No 26 towards Motorway Chowk, while the Punjab Highway Department is focusing on the two underpasses to create a signal-free corridor from Ammar Chowk to Motorway Chowk. The official explained that the new underpass in front of AFIC would alleviate traffic congestion between Ammar Chowk and Motorway Chowk. He also clarified that the underpass construction was not included in the GPO underpass project due to the diversion of all traffic to Haider Road via Station Mor, making it impractical to incorporate it at that time. Additionally, the PC-I plan is being prepared and is expected to be submitted to the government for final approval by the end of the month. The major structural works for the underpass, including piling, deck slabs, and capping beams, are already underway, with an overall construction progress of around 60%. The remaining tasks, such as installing barriers, excavating the underpasses, relocating utility services, drainage works, and road construction, are currently in progress. The Race Course underpass will have two lanes for northbound traffic and three-level road lanes for traffic movement and turning. Similarly, the Charing Cross underpass is being built to accommodate southbound traffic, featuring two underpass lanes and two-level road lanes. Rehabilitation and expansion works on the road section from Bungalow No 276 to Raffay Mall on Peshawar Road are also ongoing. The official mentioned that the underpass and adjacent roads are being repaired, and the Punjab Highway Department is working to establish an efficient drainage system to prevent water accumulation during rainy days.",
  "summary": "RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government is planning to construct an underpass on The Mall in front of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) and Military Hospital. A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the proposal had been sent to the government to start work on the underpass to cater to the traffic rush on the main square commonly known as Station Mor in front of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "3News",
        "title": "20 Ghana Armed Forces personnel graduate from Special Operations Course after 9 months of intensive training",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/20-ghana-armed-forces-personnel-graduate-from-special-operations",
        "published": "2026-10-17T22:39:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}