Revised PC-I pushes Ring Road Rawalpindi’s cost to Rs39 billion

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has revised PC-I for the Rawalpindi Ring Road project with estimated cost now rising to Rs39 billion, up from the previous Rs32 billion, according to Dawn.

This revised proposal will be presented to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in its upcoming meeting for approval.

To date, the provincial government has allocated Rs1 billion for the project this year, with Rs400 million released in July and a further Rs600 million this month for the construction of the R3 section.

A senior official from the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) confirmed that once the CDWP approves the revised PC-I, it will then be sent to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval. Only after Ecnec’s approval will further funds be disbursed.

The revised PC-I was reviewed in a pre-CDWP meeting on October 11. It was noted that the earlier version, approved by CDWP on May 3, had already accounted for price variations of Rs1.698 billion due to work completed and Rs1.222 billion for upfront escalation costs, in line with the Planning Commission’s guidelines.

The project which spans 38.3 km aims to reduce traffic congestion in twin cities and improve connectivity as it will feature five interchanges and is designed to accommodate six lanes with a speed limit of 120 km/h. Additionally, an industrial zone will be developed along the route.

RDA Director General Kinza Murtaza underscored importance of meeting project deadlines while ensuring quality and safety standards are not compromised. As construction progresses the recent milestone of launching girders on the flyovers marks a crucial step forward with the main railway bridge design being finalised. The bridge construction will begin shortly after.

Read next: Consultants raise concerns over 5G auction hurdles in Pakistan