Ring Road opening delayed again

Toll booths, electronic toll collection system also remain unfinished

RAWALPINDI:

The opening of the state-of-the-art Rawalpindi Ring Road project, which has remained pending for nearly two decades, has been postponed for the sixth time, with one interchange still incomplete and key tolling and traffic management systems yet to be installed.

The toll booths, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and electronic toll collection system are also awaiting completion, further delaying the full operational launch of the project. Initially estimated to cost Rs26.9 billion, the project has become a financial burden, with its cost now exceeding Rs58b and expected to approach Rs60b by completion. The project was conceived during the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, while its foundation stone was laid by former prime minister Imran Khan.

The 38.3-kilometre road comprises six lanes and five interchanges. The Banth interchange, which marks the starting point, along with the Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road and Chakri interchanges, has been completed. However, the Thallian interchange, near the route's endpoint, remains unfinished.

The Rawalpindi commissioner has decided to ensure that the ring road is fully opened to traffic in November, with the aim of eliminating heavy traffic from the city and improving traffic flow.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Ring Road project, linking Taxila to Bharakahu and Bharakahu to Rawat-Banth, has been given a completion deadline of June 30, 2028.

Once both projects are complete, a wider ring road network will connect Rawalpindi and Islamabad, enabling heavy vehicles travelling between Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab, including routes towards Karachi, to bypass the twin cities.