Construction starts on Rawalpindi Ring Road project

RAWALPINDI: Construction has commenced on the Rs30 billion Rawalpindi Ring Road project, led by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

Notably, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) faces a funding shortfall for the construction and has made a formal request to the caretaker Punjab government for a release of Rs4 billion.

The road project spans a total length of 38.3 kilometers, with the district administration having acquired land thus far for a 12-kilometer stretch from Chak Beli Khan to Adiala. Land acquisition for the remaining 26.3 kilometers is pending.

Moreover, the project will have 6 flyovers, 10 overhead bridges, and commercial areas on both sides (Rawalpindi and Islamabad). In addition, the road will be linked with five different interchanges at Baanth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thalian. An industrial zone will also be established around the road.

The comprehensive project is budgeted at Rs31.7 billion, comprising Rs23 billion for construction and Rs6.7 billion for land acquisition.

ECNEC approved Rs174b worth development projects

Under the previous PTI government, the project initially considered two routes but later focused on the primary carriageway extending from Baanth on Grand Trunk Road to Thallian on the motorway.

The project faced a temporary halt during the PDM government tenure but received the green light following a third-party validation of the route.

Former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed authorities to engage a third-party consultant to validate the optimal route. A joint venture of Turkish and Pakistani firms was entrusted with the task of route selection from Baanth to Thallian.

After receiving the consultant’s report, Mr. Sharif officially initiated road construction at Rawat on August 8th of this year.