Rawalpindi Ring Road opening postponed for sixth time
The opening of the Rawalpindi Ring Road has been postponed for the sixth time because one interchange and the tolling systems are unfinished. The Rawalpindi commissioner has decided to open it fully to traffic in November.
- Opening of the Rawalpindi Ring Road postponed for the sixth time
- Thallian interchange, toll booths, ITS and electronic toll system still incomplete
- Cost has risen from Rs26.9 billion to over Rs58 billion
- Commissioner aims for full opening in November
The opening of the Rawalpindi Ring Road, a project pending for nearly two decades, has been postponed for the sixth time. One interchange remains incomplete, and key tolling and traffic management systems have yet to be installed.
The toll booths, the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and the electronic toll collection system are also awaiting completion, which is further delaying the full operational launch.
The project was first estimated to cost Rs26.9 billion. Its cost now exceeds Rs58 billion and is expected to approach Rs60 billion by completion, which has made it a financial burden.
The project was conceived during the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, while former prime minister Imran Khan laid its foundation stone.
The road is 38.3 kilometres long, with six lanes and five interchanges. The Banth interchange, the starting point, and the Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road and Chakri interchanges are complete. The Thallian interchange, near the end of the route, is still unfinished.
The Rawalpindi commissioner has decided to ensure the ring road is fully opened to traffic in November, with the aim of removing heavy traffic from the city and improving traffic flow.
Separately, the Islamabad Ring Road project, linking Taxila to Bharakahu and Bharakahu to Rawat-Banth, has been given a completion deadline of June 30, 2028.
Once both projects are complete, a wider ring road network will connect Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Heavy vehicles travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab, including on routes towards Karachi, will then be able to bypass the twin cities.
Why it matters
Commuters in Rawalpindi and Islamabad must keep waiting for the road to open and for its toll system to be ready. The delay also affects heavy vehicles that are meant to bypass the twin cities.
