Ring Road opening delayed yet again

Authority says toll plazas must complete before opening road to traffic

RAWALPINDI:

The inauguration of the Rawalpindi Ring Road, which has been completed, has been postponed for the eighth time, with the ceremony scheduled for November 6 now deferred.

The Punjab Ring Road Authority has once again delayed the opening, maintaining that the road should not be inaugurated until the toll booth system and weigh stations are completed. The inauguration had previously been postponed seven times.

A new date will now be announced after completion of the toll booth system and weigh stations to ensure that vehicles using the road cannot pass without paying toll tax.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will inaugurate the project, described as a game-changer for the Rawalpindi division, once a new date is fixed. The inauguration ceremony will be held at the Banth Interchange on GT Road.

According to officials, the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, which has remained under construction through three successive governments, has completed its 38.3-kilometre route from the Banth Interchange on GT Road to the Thalian Motorway link.

Four interchanges - Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala and Chakri - have also been completed. However, construction of the fifth and final interchange at Thalian could not be completed because of its broad-based design.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has approved the third revised PC-I of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, worth Rs50.4 billion, which also includes the construction cost of the Thalian Interchange.

Installation of the toll booth system along the Rawalpindi Ring Road is still underway, although finishing work on the route has been completed.