LAHORE: Construction work on the Ring Road’s southern loop-1 and 2 (SL-1 and 2) began on Sunday with the chief minister pledging to complete and inaugurate it on the next Independence Day.

The 22.4km SL-1 and 2 starts from Kamahan (DHA phase 5) and ends at Adda Plot, Raiwind Road. The project worth Rs25 billion is being executed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on Built, Operate and Transfer basis, as the company intends to meet all construction expenses and recover them through toll collection within 25 years.

“Sine the project will benefit a large number of motorists daily, the government will not compromise in any way on the quality of construction work,” Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said after he launched the construction work at a ground-breaking ceremony on Sunday.

He advised the Ring Road Authority team to monitor the project regularly and ensure quality. He said the FWO had been selected for this project on merit since it always executed quality work.

Earlier, Lahore Ring Road Authority Chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal, also the commissioner, said speed limit of 120km had been fixed for motorists. He said the project included six interchanges and three oxygen pockets. He said the authority would not only ensure quality of work, but also completion of the project within a year as desired by the chief minister.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2016