Faizabad Interchange

Faizabad Interchange is the main gateway between the twin Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi & Islamabad. It was the first modern highway interchange of Pakistan made during late 1990's to better solve the traffic problem on Murree Road & Islamabad Highway.

History

When Islamabad was built in 1960s, there was just a traffic signal between Rawalpindi & Islamabad at the point where Islamabad Highway and Murree Road intersect each other. Traffic here had to wait hours to cross this signal due to enormous traffic on the route.

Construction

In 1997, Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif ordered the construction of first cloverleaf interchange in Pakistan to provide a signal free passage between these roads. The contract was given to NESPAK group of engineers at a cost of Rs. 130 Million and the interchange was completed in January 1998, making it the first modern cloverleaf interchange in Pakistan.

Usage

Around 48.000 vehicles use this interchange daily.

Upgrade

In 1999, a new road was planned to be constructed linking a town Pir Wadhai to this interchange. Thus the upgrade took place at this interchange making it the only few of cloverleaf interchanges in world where 3 roads join. A common cloverleaf interchange is always built between two highways, but Faizabad Interchange is built between three roads, known as Islamabad Highway, Murree Road and Pir Wadhai Road.