Rs47b Rawalpindi Ring Road to open in July – Here’s all you need to know

According to Deputy Project Director Ashfaq Sulheri, the 38.3-kilometre highway has completed its asphalt work. Only final finishing work remains before the project is officially handed over to the Punjab government. Once the remaining work is finished, the project will be inaugurated before opening to traffic.

Final finishing work underway

Project teams are currently completing the last stage of construction. The remaining work includes:

1.     Lane markings

2.     Drainage works

3.     Roadside fencing

4.     Landscaping and plantation

5.     Installation of signboards

6.     Streetlights and lampposts

Officials expect the lighting infrastructure to be completed within the next month.

Five interchanges across the route

The six-lane controlled-access highway stretches from Baanth on GT Road to Thalian near the M-2 Motorway. It includes five major interchanges:

1.     Baanth

2.     Maira Mohra

3.     Khasala

4.     Kolian Parr

5.     Thalian

6.      

The project is designed to divert heavy traffic away from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, helping reduce congestion in the twin cities.

Speed limit and toll system

The Ring Road will have a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h. A toll collection system, similar to the one used on the Lahore Ring Road, will also be introduced after the road is inaugurated.

Officials estimate that more than 30,000 vehicles will use the highway every day. Around 70% of this traffic is expected to consist of heavy goods vehicles, reducing pressure on the busiest roads in the region.

Industrial zone planned

The Punjab government also plans to establish an industrial zone along the Ring Road corridor. The initiative is expected to attract investment and create new employment opportunities.

Construction of the Thalian Interchange will begin after the main Ring Road project is completed. The interchange will improve access to the motorway network and the Islamabad International Airport corridor and is expected to take around three months to complete.

Project faced several delays

The Rawalpindi Ring Road project was delayed multiple times because of route changes, rising costs and administrative issues. The original 68-kilometre alignment was later revised to 38.3 kilometres following allegations of irregularities.

Construction resumed under the new plan after the revised alignment was approved.

Expected benefits

Once operational, the Rawalpindi Ring Road is expected to become one of Punjab’s most important transport corridors. It will improve regional connectivity, reduce travel time and make freight movement between GT Road, the motorway network and nearby industrial areas much easier.

Also read: 39km Rawalpindi Ring Road routes finalised as opening date confirmed?