People belonging to different walks of life have urged the authorities concerned to construct an underpass at the IJ Principal Road linking Ninth Avenue (also known as Agha Shahi Avenue) and Stadium Road for a smooth flow of traffic on these three major roads of the twin cities.
Thousands of people use the IJ Principal Road, Ninth Avenue and Stadium Road to reach their workplaces and educational institutions.
The Stadium Road, which joins Benazir Bhutto Road with IJ Principal Road and Ninth Avenue of the federal capital, is one of the shortest links between the Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but vehicles on these main arteries of the twin cities move at a snail’s pace, resulting in wastage of precious time.
Khair-ul-Amin, who uses Stadium Road and Ninth Avenue to reach his office on a motorbike, said driving on these roads had become a nuisance because of traffic congestion.
“The irregular flow of traffic on these roads in the morning and afternoon affects your mood for the whole day. The government should construct an underpass at the site for a swift traffic flow,” he added.
He said during strikes and protest rallies, which had become a norm, it became really tough to drive because of the traffic mess as everyone showed unnecessary haste to reach their destinations.
A van driver Asad Ullah, who picks and drops students of a local school daily, said, “The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had constructed numerous flyovers and underpasses at different locations in Islamabad and it should also consider a similar option for the IJP Road to smoothen the flow of traffic, which would also ease pressure on the Ninth Avenue and Benazir Bhutto Road.
“Heavy rush and irregular flow of traffic make driving quite difficult. You have to stop after every three metres or so and it is very hard to reach for the classes on time,” said a student of the International Islamic University. He said the construction of an underpass was a good alternative to tackle with the pressure of traffic at that point.
Inam Ullah, a government employee, said several academic institutions, offices and markets were located along these main roads; therefore, it was quite natural to have additional burden on these roads.
“The square is a confluence of three main roads of twin cities, and an underpass can definitely improve the traffic flow,” he said.