The authorities in Lahore have completed the construction of what they describe as the most advanced urban road in the country, located in the center of Lahore, the authorities said on Monday.
Known as Route 47, the 4.5 kilometers crosses Kalma Chowk and links several important arteries of the city, including Ferozepur Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard, Walton Road and Lahore Ring Road.
The project, which cost approximately RS9 billion (around USD 32 million), was carried out by the Development Authority of the Punjab Central Business District (CBD Punjab).
“This road is the central boulevard of the most modern commercial district in the country,” said the CBD Punjab CEO, Imran Amin. “It meets international standards and incorporates several intelligent characteristics.”
The road includes an elevated step of almost a kilometer and is equipped with pedestrian lanes and separate bicycles. The authorities said it was designed to prevent water accumulation during the rain, a frequent problem in the Lahore Monzón season.
The sidewalks along Route 47 are equipped with solar panels, which will provide shadow and generate up to a megawatt of electricity. “I think this is Pakistan’s first smart road that will also produce energy,” said Amin.
The route crosses what was once Walton’s airport, a 300 acres site that is now being rebuilt in a large -rise commercial area. The area is positioning itself as the Central Commercial District of Lahore, part of a broader impulse towards vertical urban development.
The authorities said that the infrastructure work in the district is now a large complete measure, including new wastewater systems, rainwater management and the construction of two parking spaces. The rainwater of the area will be channeled through underground systems and will go to an artificial lake, which is also about to end.
The Government plans to promote CBD as a center for business technology and information in the coming years.
