Ring Road hits another delay

The long-delayed Rawalpindi Ring Road project has been completed to the extent of its 38.6-kilometre route, except for the installation of toll booths. The project's cost has risen by Rs3.5 billion in escalation charges owing to inflation and prevailing market rates.

The Punjab Ring Road Authority (PRRA) has begun taking phased control of the Ring Road project, even as its sixth deadline for completion and becoming operational has expired.

A decision has yet to be taken on whether the 38.6-kilometre road should be inaugurated with or without the toll booths.

The 38.6-kilometre route from the GT Road Banth Interchange to the Thallian Interchange linking the motorway is complete, with four interchanges. Work on the toll booths, however, is currently at its final stage.

The authorities are also awaiting a date from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for the project's inauguration. Once the chief minister gives her time, the Rawalpindi Ring Road will be inaugurated and opened to traffic.

The overall cost of the Ring Road project stands at Rs46.64 billion. Four of its five interchanges - Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala and Chakri - have been completed, while work is under way on the final Thallian Interchange, which is being constructed as a broad-based interchange under a new design.

An additional Rs3.5b in escalation charges has also been added to the project cost. Such charges are incurred when a project cannot be completed within its stipulated period, resulting in increased costs in line with prevailing market rates, including higher prices of construction materials and other related expenses.

The RDA, the executing agency for the project, and the Project Management Unit (PMU) have begun handing over the Ring Road to the PRRA in phases ahead of its inauguration.