PC 1 of Rawalpindi Ring Road project to be submitted to Punjab govt soon

RDA sources said that the former Punjab government had decided to get a loan from the AIIB of China

RAWALPINDI: Project Concept (PC-I) of Rawalpindi Ring Road project would be submitted to the Punjab government by the end of this month and all out efforts were being made to start construction work of Rawalpindi Ring Road project as soon as possible, said Rawalpindi Development Authority Director General Muhammad Hayyat Lak.

Speaking to the media he said, the Punjab government had approved PC -II of the project and allocated funds for its feasibility study and design.

The Punjab government had allocated Rs97.975 million for feasibility study and design of the road. The Planning and Development Department of Punjab on Dec 6 approved the project presented to it by the RDA. Later, the provincial government made the allocation, he said.



"This project is important for Rawalpindi as it will help ease the heavy traffic. Rawalpindi is the main city connecting the northern areas to the country's main road network," said the DG.

Meanwhile, RDA sources told that the RDA would execute the project. Two separate Project Management Units (PMUs) would be formed for executing the project and procurement of land.

To a question he said the government had asked the RDA to hire a consultant to ascertain whether the road would be constructed on the basis of public-private partnership or loan financing.

RDA sources said that the former Punjab government had decided to get a loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) of China.

"The government is negotiating with the bank but things will be finalised after the report of the consultant," he added.

He said the bank had asked the previous government to acquire land first after which the loan would be provided for the project.

The road will be 38-km long. The alignment of this road will start from the Channi Sher Alam Bridge on GT Road and end at the Thalian interchange on the M-2 motorway between Rawalpindi and Lahore near the Islamabad International Airport along with link roads from Rawat and Tarnol. Four intersections will also be constructed.

This project will help alleviate congestion in the central area of Rawalpindi and it will make space and reduce travel time within the twin cities.

The work on this project slowed under the PML-N government but now has been accelerated on the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar as the Ring Road is a much-needed project for the twin cities.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2018.