LRRA seeks proposals for Multan, Sialkot ring roads

The Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) to float Request For Proposal (RPF) for Multan Ring Road and Sialkot Ring Road project in the coming few days, to finalise the transaction adviser for the task, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The LRRA after obtaining relevant approval, floated an Expression of Interest (EoI) of the two ring road projects of Punjab, one in Multan and the other in Sialkot The Expression of Interest for both these projects were floated in April and four companies had shown interest.

According to an officer, the document of RFP was with the Lahore commissioner, who is also the LRRA chairman, for his approval. Once approved, the RFP would be floated to the aforementioned four firms (mostly in JV) seeking a single envelope technical and financial bid.

Read Lahore Ring Road awaits green light

He said once finalised, the transaction adviser would be required to submit the financial model, technical model and concession agreement of the two projects, in six months. He said it would be the TA that would propose the alignment of the two projects.

He said once LRRA has the alignment, it can start acquiring the land for the project, subject to the government's approval. The groundwork of these projects can start in one year, again subject to the government's will.

The Lahore Ring Road Authority on September 4, 2020, was authorised by PPP Policy and Monitoring Board in its fourth meeting to take on the Multan Ring Road project. The project, as per the initial paperwork, was proposed between the two bypasses of the city, the northern bypass and the southern bypass. Whereas LRRA thought, then, that the existing bypasses were already too congested and located almost within the city.

It was proposed that the alignment of the complete ring road may be considered between M-4 and the southern bypass starting from the northern bypass till Sher Shah bypass.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2021.