RDA once again flexes muscles to execute Ring Road project

Rawalpindi

After failing to execute Ring Road project three times, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is once again starting work on it in order to ease traffic congestion in Rawalpindi.

According to credible sources, Punjab Chief Minister Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif has issued directions to RDA to start working Ring Road from Rawat to Fatehjang Airport. Following the directives of the Punjab chief minister, RDA has begun working on this project on a fresh note. Besides the sources, director engineering, RDA, Muhammad Akram Soban confirmed about RDA’s efforts to enforce the Ring Road project with the objective of resolving traffic congestion from Rawat to Fatehjang.

As a first step RDA would hire a consultant to prepare a feasibility study. In order to prepare feasibility report, the provincial government would allocate Rs50 million while the overall cost of the project stands in billions of rupees.

When the RDA first decided to construct Ring Road in 90s, its total cost touched to Rs50 billion. However, due to one reason or another particularly changes in political governments this multi billion rupees project remain non-implemented. RDA has once again started working again which is likely to be enforced with amendments to reduce its cost from Rs70 billion. According to director engineering , Soban, Rs23 billion would be earmarked for this project which is too little compared to previous rates particularly when the costs of construction materials have made spiral increase over the last two decades. Looking to the total cost of the project directed to slash, RDA while making amendments has been told to curtail the total distance of Ring Road to be enforced this time. The funds for implementing the project would be earmarked in the next fiscal year budget of 2016-17. Though according to sources, the chief minister had given a nod to RDA for restarting work on Ring Road in the beginning of the current year, however, because of delay in allocation of required funds for feasibility study and hiring consultant, work on this mega scheme has restarted recently, said the sources.