RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved construction of the Rs50 billion Rawalpindi Ring Road under a public-private partnership.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that Mr Buzdar approved the project during a “meeting of the Public Private Partnership and Monitoring Board to ease traffic congestion and boost economic activity in the region.”

He said firms and companies will be invited to begin working on the project in a week or two. Mr Buzdar has directed for the project to begin as soon as possible.

“The Punjab government released Rs6.7 million for land acquisition and the work to acquire land will start after approval from the Board of Revenue. I sent a letter to the Board of Revenue chairman to formally allow [us] to start the land acquisition,” he said.

The PC-I for land acquisition for package one of the Ring Road project has been approved. It will cost Rs6.7bn to acquire land for the portion of the road from the G.T. Road to Hakla interchange, which is known as package one.

Companies will be invited to begin work on project in a week or two, says commissioner

Around 14,600 kanals will be acquired in 27 villages.

The Ring Road will begin in Rawat from the G.T. Road will pass through Chak Baley Khan, Baga Sangral, Baga Miana, Gora Bharta, Meera Bharta, Chak Thoha, Losar, Chak Khas, Davari, Kotla, Sanbal, Gahi Mera, Khengar Kalan, Bhattian Nordin, Hoshyal, Laila Kamalpar, Mora Pahpra, Chappar, Tarahiya, Mian Ahmada, Kasala Kalan, Kasala Khurd, Miana Jabr, Mirakhord and Mira Kalan.

Mr Mehmood said the road will take two and a half years to complete. Package two, from the Motorway to Sangjani, will connect to a ring road in Islamabad. Land for the road connecting to Margalla Avenue will be acquired by the Rawalpindi Development Authority and Capital Development Authority.

He said the plan to reduce traffic congestion in Rawalpindi includes the decentralisation of the fruit and vegetable market, the cattle market and truck terminals.

There will also be an economic corridor to boost the local and regional economy by establishing an industrial zone and commercial and business hubs, he said.

Education and health zones will include a hospital and colleges and universities, while recreational zones will boost tourism along with the establishment of a modern theme park, he said.

The proposed length of the road is 64km; it originates from N-5 near Radio Pakistan, passes through M-1 and M-2, and terminates at Sangjani by crossing N-5 to merge with Margalla Avenue.

Its design speed is120km and the travel time from Tarnol to Rawat for cars is estimated to be an hour and 14 minutes, and more than two hours for trucks with an average speed of 50km.

Mr Mehmood added that the proposed alignment generally avoids urban populations and settlements, as it navigates through the outskirts of the twin cities.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2020