The Punjab government has approved feasibility studies for the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) Phase II and the Nullah Leh project, including detailed design and trunk outfall sewer assessments, to be undertaken during the current fiscal year (FY25).
The provincial Finance Department has instructed the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to open separate Asaan Assignment bank accounts for both schemes. Phase I of the Ring Road project is scheduled for completion by December this year.
In a letter issued to the RDA on September 10, the Finance Department confirmed that feasibility studies for both projects must be completed during FY 2025-26, with the opening of separate accounts a prerequisite for the release of funds.
The Ring Road project spans 38.8 kilometres, from GT Road at Banth Morr to the Thalian Motorway Interchange, at an estimated cost of Rs32.8 billion. More than half of the work has already been completed, with the Punjab Chief Minister setting December 2025 as the deadline for Phase I. The scheme is being executed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), with the RDA as the implementing agency.
Following the expansion of Thalian Interchange, a feasibility study for Phase II — extending the route from Thalian Interchange to the N-5 GT Road — will now be carried out. The Leh Nullah project will also undergo a fresh feasibility exercise, focusing on traffic flow and trunk sewer design. To ensure immediate commencement once funds are transferred, the RDA has been directed to maintain separate accounts for both projects.
Both the Nullah Leh and Ring Road schemes have remained stalled for decades. The Ring Road was eventually launched under the Imran Khan government but was delayed after allegations of route changes and collusion with private housing developers triggered a scandal.
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