Rawalpindi Ring Road misses another completion deadline

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has missed another completion deadline, with authorities now setting a fourth target to make the route operational by the middle of June.

The project, described as a missing link in Rawalpindi’s road network, is to be opened initially without the completion of the wider Thalian interchange, which is expected to improve connectivity further once finished.

According to details shared in an official review, the scheme now carries a cost of Rs50 billion and spans 38.6 kilometres from the first interchange at Banth Mor on GT Road to the motorway interchange at Thalian.

Deadlines revised repeatedly

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had first fixed December 30, 2025 as the deadline after visiting the site. That target was later revised to March 30, 2026, but the project was not completed by then.

At a review meeting chaired by the Rawalpindi commissioner on April 15, a third deadline of May 30 was announced. However, during another meeting chaired on May 11 by Commissioner Engineer Aamir Khattak, officials set a fresh target of mid-June for opening the road to traffic.

The meeting was told that physical progress on the project had reached 85 per cent and that work was continuing at pace under Punjab government directives aimed at providing Rawalpindi with a modern traffic system and improved infrastructure.

Traffic management proposals discussed

Officials also discussed measures linked to traffic regulation in the city once the road becomes operational. The meeting directed the relevant authorities to ensure an effective ban on the entry of heavy traffic into Rawalpindi during daytime hours.

Commissioner Aamir Khattak said a proposal was under consideration to create heavy traffic connectivity between Rawat, Chak Beli Road and GT Road so that heavy vehicles could be diverted directly to the Ring Road, easing pressure on roads inside the city.

It was also decided that only small vehicles would be permitted for loading and unloading activities within the city. Large containers and other heavy vehicles would instead be required to use the Ring Road.

The meeting further took up the phased relocation of vegetable and fruit markets, bus terminals, factories, warehouses and major commercial activities to areas around the Ring Road.

The latest revision means the project has now missed multiple deadlines despite repeated official reviews. Authorities have linked the scheme to broader efforts to improve traffic flow and urban infrastructure in Rawalpindi, while the Thalian interchange is expected to add to the road’s connectivity after its completion.