Srinagar, June 16: Despite the foundation stone having been laid nearly seven months ago, the much-publicized four-laning of Srinagar's Boulevard Road has witnessed little visible progress on the ground, raising concerns among commuters and residents over the pace of execution of the project.

The project, aimed at widening the busy Boulevard Road stretch from Nehru Park to Kralsangri along the banks of Dal Lake, was projected as a major initiative to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity on one of Kashmir's most important tourist and commercial corridors.
The proposal itself is not new. Plans to widen the Boulevard Road have existed for years and were initially conceived during an earlier Omar Abdullah-led government. However, the project remained stalled for a prolonged period due to administrative delays, objections and other constraints before finally being relaunched in 2025.
Although tenders were awarded and the foundation stone laid with promises of improved traffic flow and modern road infrastructure, commuters say little change is visible on the ground. Traffic bottlenecks continue to be witnessed regularly, particularly during weekends and peak tourist seasons when vehicular movement along the Boulevard comes under immense pressure.
Travellers along the route said they are eager to see the project move beyond official announcements and translate into tangible progress. They urged the Roads and Buildings Department to expedite execution and ensure timely completion of the long-awaited project.
With traffic volume increasing steadily and Dal Lake continuing to attract large numbers of visitors, many believe that delays in execution could undermine the very purpose for which the four-laning project was conceived.