Rawalpindi Ring Road is game-changer project for the city. It is a 38.3-kilometer bypass project that starts at Banth on GT Road (N-5) and ends at Thalian on the M-2 Motorway. It has gone through many challenges, obstacles, and scandals over the past many years that we have been sharing in our blogs from time to time, but finally, it got approved in 2021, and the work commenced in early 2022. It was scheduled to be completed within a year with fast-paced development, but, as is normal for projects in Pakistan, the progress remained slow, and the project is just about 40% complete as of today, December 2024.
Delays are always costly. Consequently, the estimated construction cost of the Rawalpindi Ring Road has increased from 24 billion rupees to 32.9 billion rupees. The reasons for the delays could be political or departmental, but the project has suffered, and so have the related developments, especially real estate developments along the RRR that heavily rely on this route to become operational as soon as possible.
Land Acquisition
Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) claims to have acquired 100% of the land required for Rawalpindi Ring Road project. A total of 8,992.32 Kanals of land has been acquired which includes 8,161.03 Kanals in Rawalpindi tehsil and 831.29 kanals in Gujar Khan tehsil.
Construction Cost
The Government of Punjab has released a total of PKR 12.03 Billion for this project till December 2024. The original estimated construction cost of the project was nearly PKR 24 billion, according to the first PC-1 approved in 2021. The revised PC-1 presented by the CDWP in December 2024 shows that the construction cost has now increased to nearly PKR 33 billion, with an additional PKR 6 billion for land acquisition, escalating the total project cost to PKR 39 billion.
Why Cost Increased?
The cost escalation is mainly due to project delays and changes in the scope of work. The revised PC-1 document shows significant increase in the scope of work along with higher material costs, resulting in the increase of construction cost.
- Culverts went up from 33 to 49.
- Underpasses/subways increased from 4 to 10.
- Bridges and flyovers rose from 19 to 26.
- Utility ducts grew from 25 to 32.
- Right of Way (RoW) fence length increased from 251,248 feet to 255,840 feet.
- Guard railing length expanded from 196,800 feet to 229,600 feet.
- New Jersey barriers increased from 72,000 feet to 137,760 feet.
Project Overview
Following is the break-down of Rawalpindi Ring Road project specifications and scope of work:
Project Specifications
- Type: 6-lane access-controlled road
- Length: 38.3 km (Banth N-5 to Thalian M-2)
- Maximum Speed: Designed for 120 km/h
- Right of Way (ROW): 90 meters, 3 lanes on either side
Scope of Work
- Interchanges:
- Banth (N-5)
- Maira Mohra (Chakbeli Road)
- Khasala (Adyala Road)
- Kohlian Parrh (Chakri Road)
- Thalian (M-2)
- Bridges:
- 12 high-level river bridges
- 12 bridges on nullahs/roads/interchanges
- 1 railway bridge near Banth
- Structures:
- 11 overpasses/flyovers
- 10 subways
- 49 box culverts
Apart from that, toll plazas and weighing stations will also be built along all interchanges.
Construction Progress
The Frontier Works Organization (FWO) is the main contractor for the Rawalpindi Ring Road project. To manage the extensive scope of this 38.3-kilometer-long project, FWO has engaged several private contractors to undertake specific tasks. This approach ensures that different sections of the road progress simultaneously.
Some contractors are focused on specialized tasks, such as constructing overhead bridges, while others are working on road development and box culverts. The earthwork for the road, including filling, compaction, and the base layer, has already been completed. The carpeting of the Ring Road is scheduled to begin in early 2025.
The Project Management Unit (PMU) that was created in 2019 to monitor the progress of Rawalpindi Ring Road project has now been dissolved, and RDA has officially taken over the supervision of this project. The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is now monitoring the project closely to ensure timely progress.
Below is a brief progress report on the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project for 2024:
- Current Completion Status:
- Earth Work is 100% complete
- Structural work is 60% complete
- Overall progress is 40% on Rawalpindi Ring Road
- Ongoing Work:
- Girder installation on bridges including the longest Soan River Bridge
- Construction of 5 interchanges
- Construction of Culverts
- Upcoming Milestones:
- Road carpeting to begin soon
Completion Date
Despite inordinate delays, Rawalpindi Ring Road is inching towards completion. The PMU officials claimed that Rawalpindi Ring Road project would be completed by June 2025 subject to provision of funds. The estimated gestation period for this project is September 2025. As the Contractor has completed 100% of earthworks and the structural work is also progressing smoothly, there won’t be any further delays if funds are timely released by the Punjab Government.
Final Remarks
The Rawalpindi Ring Road is a highly important project for the city’s expansion and economic development. It will not only ease traffic jams in downtown Rawalpindi but also provide a seamless alternate route to internal roads and the Motorway M-2. In addition to driving a significant increase in property prices along the route, the RRR will create thousands of jobs for local residents and open the door to a new era of developments in the region
With an estimated traffic flow of nearly 40,000 vehicles per day, the Rawalpindi Ring Road is set to create a wealth of business opportunities, especially with the planned commercial and industrial zones to be developed in the next phase.
The real estate in this region is heavily dependent on the completion of this development, as areas connected to major highways naturally experience significant growth. However, the uncertainty and delays in the project have caused heavy losses in the past 2 years for those who had invested time, money, and effort in the region’s real estate market.
After so much ado over the past few years, we can finally witness the project taking shape. We can only hope that the announced deadline is final and that we will witness the inauguration of the Rawalpindi Ring Road in June 2025.
You May Also Like...
