Ring Road misses another deadline

RAWALPINDI:

The long-delayed 38.6-kilometre Rawalpindi Ring Road project has once again missed its scheduled inauguration date of June 29 and is now expected to be opened in the second week of July.

Officials said both the Rawalpindi and Islamabad Ring Roads are expected to be completed this year, creating a circular transport corridor around the twin cities. Once operational, traffic from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be able to enter and exit the region without passing through congested urban areas.

The project also includes plans for major industrial zones, relocation of wholesale and flower markets, goods transport terminals, and designated areas for healthcare, education and residential development.

A large European-style recreational park is also part of the proposal under a public-private partnership model with support from the Asian Development Bank.

According to details, feasibility studies and PC-I work for the third phase have begun. The estimated cost of the project has increased significantly from Rs15 billion to Rs47 billion. The route starts from Banth (GT Road) and passes through Kaliam Awan, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road and Chakri Road before ending at Nallah Khota.

Five major interchanges have been constructed at Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala, Chakri and Thalian to provide access to surrounding communities.