RAWALPINDI:
The construction of the state-of-the-art 38.3km Ring Road Project may not be completed by the Punjab chief minister’s December 31, 2025, deadline, and a new target has been set to complete only Phase-I by March 31, 2026. The work on the megaproject has reached 75 per cent completion.
The under-construction Thalian Interchange, connecting the route to the motorway, will now be expanded into a broad-based interchange as part of future planning, for which 1,134 kanal and 18 marla of additional land will be acquired under Section 4.
The six-lane Ring Road will start from Banth on GT Road near Rawat and end at Thallian near the Motorway. It will have five interchanges — Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thallian.
The cost of the project has increased from Rs33 billion to Rs50 billion, with further land acquisition expenses yet to be determined.
A total of 8,992 kanals of land has been acquired for the project, for which over Rs5.90b has been released. Approval has also been granted to establish an industrial zone along the route.
All land around the corridor will be declared commercial, with three- to ten-storey buildings and plazas allowed on both sides. Service roads will also be built.
The 38.3km road starts from GT Road at Banth and ends at the Thalian Interchange. Much of the road carpeting has been completed while bridge construction is in the final stages, with protective structures progressing rapidly.
Around 300,000 trees will be planted along the road, and recreational spots, benches and flowers will be developed. Computerised LED screens will be installed for corporate advertising.
RDA Director General Kinza Murtaza said work is continuing at a fast pace and will be completed by March 2026.
Punjab’s Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, has also announced the establishment of economic zones along the Ring Road, a process already initiated by his ministry.
The Rawalpindi Development Authority has also launched a fresh feasibility study — costing Rs52 million — for Phase-II from Thalian to Sangjani, aimed at linking the corridor directly with CPEC. The study also includes land acquisition for shifting markets and transport terminals.
