Citizens are pleased over Kalma Chowk Flyover’s construction, a survey conducted by Pakistan Today has revealed.
“My life has become easier after the completion of the flyover,” said Shaista Khan, a housewife and a mother of three. She said Kalma Chowk was the biggest hurdle on the route to her children’s school. “I don’t know about others, but people living in Model Town and other adjacent areas are relieved as they no longer have to take longer routes to cross Kalma Chowk,” she added.
Such reviews were prevalent among commuters who took the Kalma Chowk route daily. The Kalma Chowk Flyover was a significant mega-structure and gained more popularity as it was completed in time and inaugurated on August 14, the Independence Day.
“There is a visible change in traffic after the construction of the flyover,” said a traffic warden deployed there. He said the new traffic flow showed there was no need of an underpass and that the Punjab government had taken a wise step in suspending the underpass project. The underpass was to be made from the Main Boulevard Garden Town towards the Centre Point.
The flyover seemed to have resolved the issue of traffic jams at Kalma Chowk. Punjab University teacher Usman said: “I had to wait for two to three signals before crossing the junction.” He said building the Kalma Chowk Flyover was a necessary step to improve traffic flow in the city. Law student Bilal Farooq Tarar said: “I thought it would collapse the night it was inaugurated, the bridge was jam packed on both sides and people were going berserk, celebrating Independence Day. The project was completed in four months, hats off to construction secretary.”
Director of a local university Muhammad Ibrahim Qazi welcomed the change and appreciated the Punjab government’s effort. However, he said, it would have been more worthwhile had the project been taken up in the name of public service rather than for political gain. An entrepreneur, Amna Gull said: “It is historical that the project was completed in due time, otherwise most projects in Pakistan either fall victim to changing government policies or come to a halt because of shortage of funds.” “The Punjab chief minister knows how to get the work done. I hope other projects are also completed at the same pace and with the same level of commitment,” said Civil Engineer Awais, a resident of Garden Town.