Rawalpindi - Rawalpindi Ring Road project will help reduce traffic issues in the twin cities as it will facilitate the movement of some 50,000 vehicles daily besides fighting environmental pollution.
Around half of the road — 50 kilometres — from Rawat to the Thaliyan Interchange will fall in Rawalpindi while the remaining part will pass through Islamabad, covering Shah Allah Ditta, Siri Saral, Margalla Road, Kohsar, F-series sectors, Bhara Kahu, and Kallar Sayedan before looping back to the starting point at Rawat in Rawalpindi.
Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said that Rawalpindi Ring Road project will start at Chhan Bridge and end at the starting point after looping between the twin cities.
Terming it a megaproject, the minister said that it was no longer just a ring road for the garrison city, rather it will be a longer corridor stretching over 100 kilometres between Islamabad and Rawalpindi which will cost Rs100 billion.
The minister said the fruits of this project will not remain limited to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi but will benefit the entire country.
He added that it will take around two years to complete the project.
The project will also help reduce traffic issues in the twin cities as it will facilitate the movement of some 50,000 vehicles besides improving environmental pollution.
A Project Management Unit (PMU) has been formed to supervise construction of the Ring Road and the work is expected to start in March. Zeeruk was hired to conduct a feasibility study and prepare PC-I of the Ring Road.
It is a joint venture of Zeeruk and Engineering General Consultant. The Punjab government had allocated Rs10 million for the feasibility study.
Commissioner Rawalpindi has been appointed as the project director while a deputy project director, two engineers, a structural engineer, a resettlement action planner and a land acquisition collector will be hired.
Work on the project is expected to start in March end when the consultant firm will present PC-I and the government will start land acquisition.
The Ring Road will start from Chani Sher Alam near Rawat and end at Thalian near the motorway.
According to the officials at the RDA, the provincial government has completed negotiations with the Chinese Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for a loan to construct the Ring Road.
Under the proposed project, the motorists will reach Pakistan Secretariat through Sangjani, Shah Allah Ditta, Margalla Road, and sectors of F-series. The road length from GT Road to Margalla will be 10km.
The road will also provide an easy route to the vehicles entering federal capital from Gilgit-Baltistan and Hazara Division.
The officials hope that the construction of the ring roads in the twin cities will help lessen the pressure of heavy traffic on twin cities’ thoroughfares as it will be used to connect with motorways and GB road.
