All You need to Know about Rawalpindi Ring Road Project
Rawalpindi Development Authority published a comprehensive master plan of Rawalpindi Ring Road a few days back. The project was defined as “Setting New Horizon for Rawalpindi City’s Development” and the ring road was renamed as “Rawalpindi Ring Road Economic Corridor”.
It explained the exact route of the upcoming highway from Rawat to Sangjani while showing the number of interchanges, as well as marked locations of related residential and commercial developments along the entire route.
In this article, we are going to explain the ring road master plan in detail. In addition, we will share relevant information on the upcoming inauguration and current developments related to this mega development project which are published almost every week in local newspapers.
Read Also: Where to Invest along Rawalpindi Ring Road?
Since you have been hearing about Rawalpindi Ring Road project for past many years, and might already be aware of its route, we will briefly explain about the finalized alignment and interchanges, also the salient features including economic zones to be developed along the route.
Why Do we Need Rawalpindi Ring Road?
Rawalpindi Ring Road is a long awaited mega development project which is now becoming a reality. This by-pass was much needed due to three major reasons:
- Majority of traffic including trucks coming from Central Punjab and Northern Punjab pass through Rawalpindi City using Grand Trunk Road N-5 which creates serious traffic issues.
- There is no direct road/by-pass in Rawalpindi to access Motorway and New Islamabad Airport. So, all such traffic has to pass through the entire city and take Kashmir Highway to reach Motorway and Airport.
- New housing developments are taking place on Adyala Road and Chakri Road, but there is no direct seamless access to these new development areas.
Ring Road project will divert the unnecessary traffic right at the start of the City, thus easing off traffic load from the city. Additionally, new commercial zones will be developed along the road where new businesses will establish and flourish.
Expansion of Rawalpindi will speed up with this mega venture as ease-of-access will cause people to live and work in new development areas. Hence, besides the ongoing residential developments in this area, we are expecting many related commercial developments by private sector after the official inauguration of Rawalpindi Ring Road.
Rawalpindi Ring Road Final Alignment
RDA approved the finalized draft of Ring Road alignment prepared by Zeeruk International in July 2020. Many related details about the new economic zones, land acquisition, budget and financing have been worked out since then, and now the project is in final stages before official inauguration.
RDA published the final version of finalized Rawalpindi Ring Road Economic Corridor a few days back as attached below:
As you can see above, complete route of the ring road, number of interchange and related economic zones have been mapped precisely on the master plan. This map is very important as it will help you understand exactly which area is going to be linked with the Ring Road, where major commercial activities are planned and where it is worth buying land for investment.
Interchanges
Rawalpindi Ring Road will start from GT Road N-5 Radio Station at Rawat and lead up to GT Road N-5 at Sanjgani. There will be a total of 8 interchanges on the route to facilitate easy access for the traffic to all parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Following is the list of interchanges planned on Rawalpindi Ring Road:
- N-5 Radio Station Interchange
- Chakbeli Interchange
- Adyala Interchange
- Chakri Interchange
- M-2 Murat Interchange
- Airport Interchange
- Hakla-D.I.Khan Interchange (CPEC Interchange)
- N-5 Sangjani Interchange
Salient Features
Rawalpindi Ring Road is planned to be a 6-lane signal free highway having 110 meters width and 65.5 Kms length. There will be about 15000 trees planted around the entire route to maintain eco-friendliness of the project.
Besides providing a by-pass for traffic currently passing through Rawalpindi City while creating serious traffic issues, Ring Road is going to establish a whole new development area in Rawalpindi where new residential and commercial developments will take place over the next decade. Hence, this new link will facilitate expansion of Rawalpindi City towards Chakri where a majority of private housing projects are already operating.
Rawalpindi Ring Road will precisely have the following salient features:
- Motorway Standards of Service
- 65.5 Kms Length
- 110 Meters Width, 6 Lanes
- 8 Interchanges from Rawat to Sangjani
- 7 Economic Zones
Economic Zones
There are several economic zones planned along the Ring Road which includes new industrial hubs, warehouses, fruit and vegetable markets, residential schemes, farm housing projects, health and education zones, and much more.
Starting right from the origin at N-5 at Rawat, there is a total of 7 economic zones along the route. We will list down each of them below:
Logistics Hub 1
This first economic zone will be located near Radio Pakistan on N-5 GT Road. This zone will comprise:
- Whole sale fruit and vegetable market
- Cattle market
- Dry Port
- Bus and Truck Terminal
Industrial Estate 1
This zone will be located at Chakbeli Interchange and this zone will be dedicated for establishment of new industries and ware houses for goods.
This zone will be reserved for:
- Industrial Hub
- Ware Houses
- Health Facility/Hospital
Residential Estate 1
This residential zone will be located at Adyala Interchange and it will be reserved for Government’s housing projects.
This zone will comprise:
- RDA’s Housing Scheme
- Farm Houses
Mixed Use Residential Estate 2
This residential zone is planned opposite to Residential Estate 1, and it will lie adjacent to Rudn Enclave. This zone will comprise the following:
- RDA’s Housing Scheme
- Sports Complex
Recreational Zone
This zone lies at Chakri Interchange close to Capital Smart City, and it will be dedicated for entertainment and leisure activities.
This zone will comprise:
- Theme Park
- Entertainment Activities
Aerotropolis
This zone will be located right opposite to New Islamabad Airport near Airport Interchange of Rawalpindi Ring Road. This zone will be developed for a number of commercial activities which includes:
- Business Hub
- Expo Centers
- Educational Zone
- Eco Housing
CPEC Zone
This economic zone will be developed near Hakla-D.I Khan Interchange and it will mainly comprise industrial estate, warehouses and cargo terminals
CPEC zone will comprise:
- Industrial Estate II
- Logistic Hub II
- Dry Port
- Ware Houses
- Truck Terminal
Connection with CPEC
Rawalpindi Ring Road will connect with CPEC at Hakla-DI Khan Interchange, so all the industrial material and freight can move to and from CPEC route through this ring road. This connection also explains the reason to set up new industrial zones, warehouses and dry ports along the ring road economic corridor.
Ongoing Developments
As per latest information, the Government of Punjab have approved the finalized alignment and funds have been released for land acquisition. Everything related to planning including ring road route, alignment, interchanges, designs and economic zones have already been finalized and approved.
Development contract for construction of Ring Road and related developments will be awarded in a couple of weeks, as RDA is already working on the tendering process. Once the contract is awarded, physical developments will begin in full swing as the government has set the deadline of completion of Ring Road by mid 2023.
Inauguration Date
As per latest information, RDA is planning to hold inauguration ceremony in December 2020. Exact date is yet to be finalized, however preparations are being made to organize a public event where Prime Minister will be invited to official inaugurate Rawalpindi Ring Road Project.
Project Video
You may watch below the latest video on Rawalpindi Ring Road alignment and Economic Zones defined by RDA:
Investment Potential
Real estate along Rawalpindi Ring Road is an attractive investment option, because this road passes through the least developed lands of Rawalpindi where mostly small villages are settled, and land is either lying useless or being used for farming. Some housing projects have already launched in this particular areas where property prices are already rising day by day.
Investors have started entering this small real estate market and started purchasing large chunks of land on Adyala Road and Chakri Road expecting huge returns in near future. Therefore, this is the right time to make some investment in this particular area to gain good return in next 3 to 5 years.
Even if you are an average investor or looking to buy something for future residence, you have plenty of options in private housing schemes where you can buy small residential and commercial plots at very affordable prices. Such land investments can potentially give you much higher return compared with alternative investment options.
If you compare the current price per kanal in this particular area with new development areas near Airport, you will come to know that land prices on Chakri Road and Adyala Road are 3 to 4 times lower at present. Once this area is connected with Ring Road, land prices are likely to rise even higher due to its proximity with the City and availability of all utilities including fresh water through existing rainwater dams.
Final Word
Rawalpindi Ring Road is no longer an abstract idea, but it is pacing towards becoming a reality very soon. It is now advancing from conceptual phase to development phase in the next 2 months. The Government and relevant departments are working diligently to implement mega development projects in order to revive economic activities, especially related to real estate in order to attract investments and create new jobs.
Mega development projects not only resolve pending issues but also create new opportunities. Government projects can take time to deliver, but they ultimately do. Risk takers are the ones who gain maximum return on their investment, therefore do you research but take a timely decision before you lose out on this opportunity.
When New Islamabad International Airport was under construction, there were many who thought it would’t make any sense to invest in the neighboring real estate as it would take decades to render good returns. Now things are up and running, project is operational and road networks are partially built, and the same land is hardly affordable for majority of them.
Should you require more information on Rawalpindi Ring Road project and related updates, or you want information on investment opportunities in this particular area, feel free to call or whatsapp at 03455222253 for quick assistance.
