The Rawalpindi Ring Road has missed its sixth completion deadline, with the project still awaiting inauguration despite August 14 being set as the latest target date.
The main construction work on the 38.3-kilometer road from GT Road’s Banth Mor to Thallian Interchange has been completed. However, the project cannot become fully operational until the remaining toll booths and tolling system are completed.
The Project Management Unit will hand over the completed project to the Punjab Ring Road Authority once the remaining tolling infrastructure is finished.
Authorities have completed four of the five interchanges planned for the project. These include Banth, Chakbeli Khan, Adiala and Chakri interchanges.
Work on the Thallian Interchange remains incomplete after authorities granted it broad-based interchange status. Despite the incomplete work, the Ring Road has already been connected to the motorway.
The total cost of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project has now reached Rs. 47 billion, translating into an estimated cost of around Rs. 1.22 billion per kilometer.
The latest delay has been attributed mainly to incomplete tolling infrastructure, preventing authorities from formally opening the road for traffic.
Once the toll booths and tolling system are completed, the Project Management Unit will transfer the project to the Punjab Ring Road Authority, paving the way for the Ring Road’s formal opening.
Meanwhile, authorities have also removed the controversial service area that had been established along the Ring Road.
The latest missed deadline adds to the project’s history of delays, with the Rawalpindi Ring Road now failing to meet its sixth scheduled completion target.
