Rethinking Road Construction: A Call for Strategic Planning and Environmental Considerations

Road infrastructure proves exceptionally valuable in our dynamic society, where frequent travel for employment and business necessitates efficient connections between places. Well-constructed roads and highways not only facilitate individual mobility but also play a vital role in nationwide goods distribution, even reaching remote areas. Governments find lasting value in investing in properly constructed roads that can endure for decades.

Before embarking on road construction, thorough planning is essential. This involves analyzing current and future traffic patterns, conducting cost-benefit studies, creating layout drawings, securing funding, and addressing legal and environmental considerations. Such meticulous planning helps avoid future financial or legal challenges.

In Pakistan, road construction has become a lucrative business for politicians, drawn by substantial project budgets. Unfortunately, corruption and inadequate planning hinder roads from fulfilling their intended purposes. Issues such as insufficient traffic management, disruptions during construction, and adverse effects on surrounding areas persist due to a lack of planning. Multiple simultaneous projects in the same area exacerbate problems, causing blockages and inconvenience for the public. The emphasis on road construction for political gain has led to an extensive network contributing significantly to pollution, even in the absence of vehicles.

Road construction also brings negative consequences, occupying land resources, forming barriers for animals, and adversely impacting natural water resources. Noise, dust, and vibrations are among the damaging effects, leading to soil erosion, destruction of surface vegetation, and disruptions to ecosystems.

Lahore, Pakistan's most polluted city, faces severe consequences from poorly planned road construction, further worsening air quality and affecting 80% of the population. To address these issues, a shift in focus is necessary, emphasizing comprehensive planning, traffic management, and environmental considerations. The detrimental impacts of hasty road construction need to be acknowledged, fostering a more sustainable and responsible approach to infrastructure development.

Instead of prioritizing proper planning, ministers often rush road projects like a race, focusing on completing them in the shortest time without considering essential planning and quality standards.

A recent example illustrates this trend. Our minister claimed to have completed the approximate 600-meter-long Nawaz Sharif Interchange Bedian Road Underpass (DHA Phase-5 to DHA Phase-6) Construction in a record 70 days. However, the reality contradicts this assertion; the underpass may be showcased as finished, but Bediyan Road from the underpass to Bhatta Chowk remains closed due to ongoing construction. The project's completion status is misrepresented in official records, with the Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi claiming 100% progress on a project that is only 50% complete.

Similarly, the newly-constructed 742-meter-long Captain Kernal Sher Khan Shaheed Flyover (Ghora Chowk overhead bridge) in Lahore was opened to traffic after a record 90 days. However, the road from the flyover to Walton Road is closed, and work has stopped, despite the project being presented as completed in official records and news. This mismanagement is causing significant hardship for people due to the closed and dismantled Walton Road.

The involvement of politicians in this road business needs to cease. Instead, the government should focus on effective traffic and vehicle management, considering the alarming increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. Unmanaged traffic will lead to chaos, rendering these roads ineffective.

Singapore's successful road and traffic management policies offer a viable model for Pakistan to emulate. Encouraging public transport use and discouraging individual car usage can alleviate traffic issues. Singapore's Electronic Road Pricing, introduced in 1998, is a fully automated system that sets rates based on location, time of day, vehicle type, and real-time speeds. Their pioneering Area License System in 1975 resulted in a 43% reduction in traffic. Singapore's commitment to congestion pricing has led to the lowest road traffic deaths at 1.69 per 100,000 people, making it a recognized pioneer in reducing congestion and ensuring efficient traffic management.


Author

Sajid M.Qureshi

Email: sajid.mq@outlook.com
Blogs: https://sajidmq.blogspot.com
Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/sajidmq

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Control vs Growth: Why Pakistan’s Digital Future Is Being Suffocated

Image
A quiet but widening gap is emerging between Pakistan’s younger generation and those who hold power. It is not merely generational; it is philosophical. On one side is a population that wants speed, access, opportunity, and global integration. On the other is a system increasingly focused on control, restriction, and short-term optics. The result is a growing disconnect that threatens Pakistan’s economic and digital future. Generation Z wants faster internet because their livelihoods depend on it. Freelancing, remote work, digital commerce, cloud services, and content creation are not luxuries—they are income streams. Yet policy decisions increasingly prioritize stronger firewalls, tighter controls, and heavier regulation under the banner of “security.” While cybersecurity is a legitimate concern, the purpose of firewalls was never mass surveillance, content policing, or political monitoring. Globally, firewalls exist to prevent cyberattacks, data breaches, and infrastructure compromis...
Read more

Mastering the First Few Seconds: A Practical Strategy to Defeat Temptation

In today’s digital world, distractions and temptations are everywhere. Whether it’s through social media, online content, or daily interactions, the human mind is constantly exposed to stimuli that can easily pull attention away from productivity, discipline, and personal growth. One of the most powerful of these impulses is lust —a natural human emotion that, if not managed properly, can negatively affect focus, decision-making, and personal values. However, overcoming such impulses is not about suppressing human nature or trying to eliminate thoughts entirely. The real challenge—and the real opportunity—lies in how we respond in the first few seconds when temptation appears . The Real Battle Happens in the First Few Seconds Temptation rarely starts as a strong force. It usually begins with a simple trigger—a visual cue, a thought, or a memory. At that moment, the brain begins processing the stimulus and gradually builds anticipation. The crucial point is this: The strength of temptat...
Read more

Pakistan's Cost of Living vs Income Reality

Image
The biggest challenge in Pakistan today is not just unemployment. It is the widening gap between income and survival. Over the last decade, salaries have increased on paper. But the cost of living has increased much faster. From rent and fuel to groceries, healthcare, utilities, and children's education, the average household is under constant financial pressure. A salary that once supported a decent middle-class lifestyle is now barely enough to cover monthly essentials. 2016 vs 2026: A Reality Check Ten years ago, many middle-class families could manage household expenses, educate their children, save a portion of their income, and even dream of owning a home. Today, despite earning significantly more, many families find themselves under greater financial stress. The alarming reality is that while incomes increased by roughly 2 to 3 times, many essential expenses increased by 4 to 6 times. In simple terms, people are earning more money but purchasing less with it. The Real Cost o...
Read more