LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has finished construction and lane-marking work on the Bhati Chowk underpass, officials told LDA Director General Tahir Farooq during a site visit this week.
The update means the underpass is close to opening for public traffic. However, authorities have not announced a confirmed opening date.
Farooq inspected the site as part of a wider review of ongoing development projects in Lahore. Officials briefed him that the main structure and road markings were complete.
He directed teams to finish the remaining work without delay. That includes beautification of the underpass barrel and a protected U-turn along Circular Road.
Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA) Chief Engineer Iqrar Hussain told Farooq that this work, along with an adjoining service road, would be completed shortly.
An Earlier Target Date Has Already Passed
The underpass was originally expected to open for traffic from July 30, according to a report published in late July. At that time, officials said final-phase construction would wrap up within about a week.
That date has since passed. As of this week’s update, the underpass remains closed to public traffic, and no new opening date has been set.
What the Underpass Will Do
The Bhati Chowk underpass was built at a cost of about Rs. 1 billion. It has three lanes and runs roughly 400 metres, built in a curved design to match the shape of the intersection, according to the July report.
Once open, it will give motorists a signal-free route from Azadi Chowk to Bhati Chowk. From there, traffic will be able to continue toward Kutchehry and the Mall Road without stopping at signals.
Bhati Chowk sits near Data Darbar, one of Pakistan’s most visited religious sites, and forms part of the gateway to Lahore’s Walled City.
Part of a Larger Redevelopment Plan
The underpass is one piece of a bigger project: the Bhati Chowk and Data Darbar Remodeling and Expansion Project. LDA launched the project around November 2025, after retrieving roughly 16 kanals of land for the scheme.
The broader project carries a budget of about Rs. 2.5 billion. TEPA, which is executing the work on LDA’s behalf, was originally directed to complete it within eight months.
An LDA spokesperson said at the time that the project was intended to decongest one of Lahore’s busiest intersections and beautify the approach to the Data Darbar shrine. Officials have said the redevelopment is expected to improve daily traffic flow for close to 270,000 vehicles once fully complete.
The wider scheme also includes an expansion of the Data Darbar piazza, an underground pedestrian passage, new parking, and a toilet block, which LDA and TEPA officials have reviewed alongside the underpass on multiple site visits since late last year.
Construction Timeline
| Milestone | Approximate Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Land cleared, redevelopment project launched | November 2025 | Completed |
| Underpass construction about 43% complete | Early May 2026 | Completed |
| Excavation work completed | Mid-June 2026 | Completed |
| Original target opening for traffic | July 30, 2026 | Missed |
| Construction and lane marking completed | Mid-August 2026 | Completed |
| Beautification, protected U-turn, service road | Not yet specified | In progress |
The project has moved through several review visits by the LDA director general since May, with TEPA reporting steady progress at each stage. Even so, the finishing work now under way means the underpass has yet to be handed over for public use.
What Happens Next
For now, the underpass remains under finishing works rather than open to traffic. TEPA has been told to complete the barrel beautification, the Circular Road U-turn and the service road “at the earliest,” but officials have not given commuters a specific date to expect.
Once those tasks are done, the underpass is expected to open to the public, giving drivers moving between Azadi Chowk and Bhati Chowk a signal-free path toward Kutchehry and the Mall Road. PakBrief will update this report when LDA or TEPA announce a confirmed opening date.
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