RR project faces fresh setbacks

The Rawalpindi Ring Road project, a long-awaited and significant infrastructure initiative, has encountered yet another delay after being stalled for two decades.

Despite the passage of 20 years, only 29 per cent of the project has been completed. The ongoing financial crisis has been identified as the primary cause of this latest setback.

Initially, the Punjab chief minister had set December 31, 2024, as the deadline for the project's completion.

However, it has become clear that this target will not be met. Instead, the completion date has been unofficially extended to March 31, 2025.

According to credible sources, even the revised deadline of March 31, 2025, maybe at risk due to a severe shortage of funds. The Rawalpindi Ring Road project was first proposed by the Punjab government in 2004, during the tenure of former President General Pervez Musharraf. Over the years, the scope of the project has been reduced, transforming it into a mere road project. The road is expected to cover a distance of 38.3 kilometres, but the estimated cost has surged from the initial Rs31.3 billion to Rs38.3 billion.

This cost is expected to increase further in the coming months, driven by rising prices of key construction materials such as cement, gravel, sand, and steel.

The Provincial Planning and Development Department (P&DD) has approved the current incremental cost estimate for the project, and the funds have been sent to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval under the new schedule. Additionally, funds have been allocated for the second phase of the Ring Road project, which will extend from Thalian M2 to GT Road N5. A sum of Rs520.95 million has been approved for the feasibility study and design of this phase. Furthermore, Rs6.724 billion has been set aside for land acquisition and utility removal.

For the construction and carpeting of the main carriageway, a total of Rs 26.9697 billion has been approved. These funds will be released in phases following ECNEC approval. The 38.3-kilometre Ring Road will connect Rawat Banth GT Road to Thalian Motorway, with five interchanges planned at Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road, and Thalian. To support the project, 8,992 kanals of land have already been acquired, and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has been tasked with its construction.

However, experts caution that if the estimated funds are not fully released by December, the completion of the Ring Road could be delayed until the end of the current financial year.