Islamabad Ring Road project postponed till next fiscal year

RAWALPINDI: Civic authorities have decided to postpone the much-awaited Islamabad Ring Road project till the next fiscal year.

An official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) stated that the agency has decided not to allocate resources for the Islamabad Ring Road mega-project in its budget for the current fiscal year.

The Islamabad Ring Road is one of the hallmark development projects initiated by the former government. The ring roads were to seamlessly connect Islamabad and Rawalpindi, easing traffic congestion within the current connecting routes.

The Islamabad Ring Road starts at Sangjani Interchange, leading up to the starting point of Rawalpindi Ring Road-R3. The 50-kilometre-long road will pass through major areas of the city including Margalla Hills, Shah Allah Ditta, F-series sectors, and Bhara kahu.

The Ring Road was also named as the Islamabad inter-city road. The highway is also intended to connect traffic coming from Gilgit-Baltistan and Hazara directly. The completion of the project will result in a complete ban of all heavy-duty vehicles in Islamabad, as the Ring Road will serve as a by-pass road for heavy vehicles and traffic moving towards other cities.

However, the federal government and the civic agency have refrained from allocating funds to these mega-projects, putting the Islamabad Ring Road on hold till the next fiscal year.