Ring Road project makes headway amid cost escalation

The Rawalpindi Ring Road project, dubbed as a missing link in Rawalpindi's development, has marked significant progress, reaching 29 per cent completion.

Initially budgeted at Rs26 billion, the project's revised PC-1 is recommended at Rs32.9 billion due to essential enhancements and cost escalations. These revisions include the creation of new earthwork culverts and adjustments for inflation-induced material rate increases. The revised PC-1 has undergone thorough scrutiny, progressing from the Planning and Development Wing (PDWP) and the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) to await final approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) forum.

Spanning from Banth GT Road and extending 38.8 km to the Thalian Interchange of the Motorway, the Rawalpindi Ring Road project is a vital connectivity artery for the region. Despite its critical significance, delays have hindered its progress, attributing the current 29 per cent completion rate. Project authorities have recalibrated their timelines, targeting completion by June 2025.

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), entrusted with executing this pivotal project, awarded the contract, initially valued at Rs26 billion, to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). However, evolving circumstances, including inflation-driven material price surges during ongoing operations, have propelled the project's cost to Rs44 billion in the revised PC-1.

The PDWP in Punjab has since revised this figure down to Rs32.9 billion, paving the way for CDWP's review and eventual submission to the federal government forum for ultimate endorsement.

This undertaking has a storied history, having been deliberated for over three decades by successive administrations. Notably, during its expansion phase, a financial scandal marred its progress, resulting in arrests, including a former commissioner, under the previous Imran Khan government. Subsequent administrations recalibrated the project, reinstating its original route. Final contractual formalities transpired during the tenure of the PDM government post-Imran Khan's administration.

Despite concerted efforts, the project's timeline has deviated, with only 29 per cent completion achieved to date, leaving substantial work remaining. The contractor has been tasked to expedite efforts for timely completion by June 2025. Concurrently, discussions regarding the envisioned economic zone alongside the Rawalpindi Ring Road remain inconclusive, notwithstanding calls from the business community in the twin cities.

Plans for the Economic Zone are contingent upon the Rawalpindi Ring Road's full completion, with no alterations to the designated route anticipated. Stakeholders anticipate finalising these arrangements in tandem with the project's scheduled culmination in June 2025, aligning infrastructural development with economic growth prospects.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2024.