Work on Ring Road to start in May

=Another deadline for the long-delayed Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) was announced on Monday when Commissioner Muhammad Mahmood said work on the project will kick off in May or June this year.

The project has been on papers since 2007 and has not budged beyond press statements.

Commissioner Mahmood said modern economic zones would be developed along with RRR and the Punjab government would encourage the industrialists to set up their units there.

Mehmood said that the objective to construct the Ring Road is to improve economic connectivity and road transport efficiency in the twin cities, Rawalpindi-Islamabad through constructing a Ring Road and associated facilities. The Punjab government has added 10 new commercial and residential zones in the Rawalpindi Ring Road Project Economic Corridor (RRPEC).

He said the government had approved the project to ease traffic congestion and boost economic activity in the region, adding, the project would give a new look to the city. The district government had started paying compensation amount to the owners of the land being acquired for Rawalpindi Ring Road Project, he added. He informed that the foundation stone of the project would formally be laid in May or June.

He said the land price of the zones particularly truck terminals, wholesale markets and mandis would notice an upward trend as the foundation stone of the project would be laid.

The commissioner said it is high time to invest in all zones of RRRP as it's a golden opportunity and the business community should avail the chance.

He said the Ring Road would set a new horizon for the development of Rawalpindi city and it would pave the way for the development of the city in the southwest.

He said Ring Road is a much-needed project for the twin cities as the citizens face difficulties on daily basis due to traffic gridlocks at several roads including Rawalpindi city's main artery, Murree Road.

The commissioner said that the administration of truck and bus terminals have been given two years to plan for shifting out of the city areas as with the completion of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, heavy transport would not be allowed to enter the city.

He said the ban would be indispensable for solving traffic problems and controlling environmental pollution. Muhammad Mahmood said that truck and bus terminal owners can avail the chance to purchase the land which is available at cheaper rates at the designated places along the Ring Road but its rates would notice an upward trend as the construction work on the project is started.

He said that relocation of heavy transport terminals out of the city was inevitable as the utility of the Ring Road project would be lost if the heavy traffic is allowed to enter the city areas even after completion of the project.

He said traffic congestion had become the biggest problem for the city and the ring road project is essential for its solution but traffic issues cannot be solved without shifting the cottage industries, bus and truck terminals out of the city areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2021.