The Punjab government has issued an order to start the work on the Rawalpindi Ring Road project and Leh Expressway and Flood Channel project worth Rs 48 billion in total after the final approval from the federal government. The Ring Road project is worth Rs 23.6 billion, and the Expressway and Flood Channel project are worth Rs 24.9 billion. The work on both projects will be carried out by the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has cleared the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, which will be the main road from Banth on GT road to the Thallian interchange on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway. The Punjab Annual Development Program (ADP) will finance the project, and RDA will execute it for the construction of a six-lane, 38.3 km long road. RDA asked for the initiation of necessary administrative approval of the scheme at the cost of Rs 23.6 billion without the Foreign Exchange Component. A committee of the Ministry of Communications, which is part of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), recommended that the RDA’s consultants conduct an in-depth study on the possibility of diverting traffic from the Ring Road to the M-2 freeway. Requisite measures are taken by the ministry in order to implement axle load limitations on its national highway and motorways. Rawalpindi Ring Road will facilitate an economic corridor, making travelling between the twin cities easier by avoiding busy and congested areas.
The Leh Expressway and Flood Channel project initiation is approved by the ECNEC on the condition that the environmental impact assessment study will be done before the execution of the project, and this project will be implemented within six months. This project will constitute an integral part of the transportation network of Rawalpindi city besides flood mitigation and sewage disposal. The provincial government has completed its work to launch both mega projects. Implementations of these projects would reduce traffic congestion in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
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