Rawalpindi Ring Road Gets New Opening Deadline
Authorities have set a new deadline for opening the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, with the latest target fixed for mid June after missing multiple earlier completion dates.
According to officials, the 38.6-kilometre project will initially become operational without the full completion of the Thalian interchange, which is expected to improve connectivity further once completed.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had earlier set December 30, 2025, as the completion deadline during a site visit, which was later revised to March 30, 2026, and then May 30. However, the project remained incomplete.
During a review meeting chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Engineer Aamir Khattak on May 11, authorities announced a fourth deadline aiming to make the road operational by the middle of June.
Officials said physical progress on the project has reached 85 percent, and construction work is continuing rapidly. The meeting also reviewed plans to reduce heavy traffic inside Rawalpindi city by diverting trucks and containers toward the Ring Road.
Authorities discussed proposals for dedicated heavy traffic connectivity through Rawat, Chak Beli Road, and GT Road, while relocation of wholesale markets, bus terminals, warehouses, and factories around the Ring Road also came under consideration.