ISLAMABAD: Work on the Rawalpindi Ring Road Project is expected to begin early 2019, as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AAIB) has agreed to loan $402 million for the project.

Beijing-based AIIB is scheduled to approve the loan by December this year. The Punjab government, which recently approved the project, will contribute $57m to the project, which has a total cost of $459m.

Rawalpindi is a major logistics and transportation centre for northern Pakistan. Segregating strategic movements from local traffic towards the southwest part of the city will enhance the city’s function as a national hub of transport and logistics.

The N-5 national highway is one of the most important transport corridors in the country. The 1,919 kilometre highway connects key economic centres, such as Torkham, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

AIIB agrees to loan $402m for project, Punjab govt to contribute $57m

Traffic movement, including 95pc of external trade and 65pc of total inland freight, are primarily connected along this corridor. One of the key bottlenecks on the N-5 is the section that passes through the central parts of Rawalpindi.

The proposed alignment of the Rawalpindi Ring Road will originate from Channi Sher Alam Bridge on the G.T. Road near Rawat and terminate at Thalian interchange on the M-2 motorway between Rawalpindi and Lahore near the Islamabad International Airport.

A component of the project will involve the construction of road works, ancillary works and consulting services, and will include an approximately 58.8km road that includes the 38.3km main line of the ring road and several link roads.

Based on the assessments of government systems and project institutional arrangements, the AIIB will also provide institutional strengthening support to the project. In addition, the proposed project will also provide technical assistance to project implementation agencies to manage and monitor implementation.

Northeast Rawalpindi and Islamabad will also have sufficient space for liveability, job creation and other service or industry development. It will also contribute to the reduction in fuel consumption, vehicular noise and air pollution in urban areas.

A project document released by AIIB says the development of the Rawalpindi Ring Road will help relieve the bottleneck on the N-5 national highway, it will help alleviate congestion in central areas of Rawalpindi city and it will release space and save travel time for non-motorised transport, public transport and commuting vehicles within the twin cities.

It will also facilitate the growth of Rawalpindi city towards the southwest side in a planned manner.

Indicative results indicators of the proposed project include reduced travel time for through traffic users, an increased population with access to quality and all-season roads. Other intermediate indicators and the results monitoring framework to monitor the progress of the project and outcome will be developed and finalised the during the appraisal of the project, the AIIB document says.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2018