Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to inaugurate the T-Chowk Flyer, also known as the Iqbal Chowk Flyover, on Thursday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced.
Mohsin Naqvi said the prime minister first inspected the site on September 12, after which work formally started on September 19 and was wrapped up by December 5.
The opening ceremony, he explained, was pushed back due to the premier’s busy schedule rather than any delay on site.
He praised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the project team for completing the flyover in just 77 days, describing it as a record timeframe.
According to Naqvi, one civil engineer remained stationed at the site throughout, supervising round-the-clock work to ensure the deadline was met.
The minister noted that Islamabad’s population has grown roughly four times over the last two decades, while road and civic infrastructure failed to expand at the same pace.
The government, he said, now wants to both catch up on overdue projects and plan ahead for the city’s needs over the next 20 years. Reducing gridlock at major junctions, including the Faizabad Interchange, and resolving drinking water shortages are among the top priorities he listed.
Naqvi also unveiled a broader development blueprint, Vision 2027, to be implemented under the Interior Ministry. A detailed briefing is expected on January 1 or 2, during which around 130 projects will be announced, ranging from new and improved roads to graveyards, hotels, recreation facilities, and other civic schemes.
Emphasising “quality, low cost and speed” as the government’s guiding principles, he said the Iqbal Chowk Flyover cost about Rs. 1 billion but was completed with noticeable savings compared with similar projects elsewhere.
He added that the same team is engaged on other schemes, including major hospitals, and that further announcements will follow soon.
Naqvi had earlier paid a late-night visit to the Iqbal Chowk Flyover along with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, where he inspected construction quality and reviewed arrangements for the inauguration. He lauded the CDA for planting over 3,000 trees and shrubs around the site to improve the area’s look and environment.
Officials said the flyover sits at a key junction between Rawalpindi and Islamabad and is expected to serve close to 100,000 commuters daily, easing traffic coming from Rawalpindi, Rawat, and Lahore into the federal capital.
Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Memon, and other senior officials were also present during the inspection.
