The completion of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project by December this year is now contingent on the approval of the revised PC-I costing Rs9.32 billion by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
So far, 40 per cent of the work on the project has been completed, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has set a deadline for its completion by December 2025.
According to sources, the 38-kilometre-long Rawalpindi Ring Road project, which begins near the Banth Mor on GT Road and ends at the Thalian Interchange on the motorway, has seen the initial PC-I cost rise from Rs26 billion to Rs39 billion, and now stands at Rs9.32 billion in the revised version.
The revised PC-I has already been approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), but final approval from ECNEC is still awaited, with a meeting of the committee being awaited.
The project, which is being executed by the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) through its Project Management Unit (PMU), is currently being worked on by the contractor, the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).
Of the total 40 per cent completed work, Rs6 billion remains unpaid. Last week, a payment of Rs3 billion was made, funded by the Punjab government.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, during her site visit, issued instructions to ensure the remaining 60 per cent of the project is completed by December 2025.
The project includes five interchanges at Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road, and Thalian. Additionally, a railway bridge and five overpasses will be constructed, along with 21 subways.
Meanwhile, the proposal to establish an economic zone alongside the Rawalpindi Ring Road has not yet been approved.
The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and trader associations from the twin cities have continuously demanded the establishment of economic zones on both sides of the ring road.
They argue that this would be a game-changer for the economic development of the Rawalpindi division.
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