Lahore: The Punjab government has given the green light to commence the construction of the Lahore Ring Road project’s Southern Loop-3 (SL-3) in the coming months, according to news published in the leading newspaper on June 9.
Read: Foundation stone for Lahore Ring Road SL-III project laid: CM Buzdar
As per the details, the cabinet has approved PC-I of Lahore Ring Road SL-3, with a budget of PKR 17.798 billion. It was mentioned that the funds will be released next year under Annual Development Programme (ADP).
Moreover, the government has decided to finance the project, abandoning the previous plan of executing it under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The government has already acquired the necessary land for the project and provided compensation amounting to PKR 4.5 billion to affected landowners.
Reportedly, the government has completed the mutation process, so the Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) is expected to face no obstacles in commencing the project. The LRRA will soon initiate the bidding process and other preparatory work to select a qualified firm through a competitive bidding process.
Read: LRRA, NLC sign construction agreement for Lahore Ring Road-Southern Loop III
The government has also expressed interest in constructing the SL-4 section of the Ring Road, which begins at Maraka on Multan Road and connects to the Lahore-Karachi motorway. Additionally, a western loop is planned to link the Ring Road with the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2). The Lahore Ring Road project (Southern Loop) stretches from Adda Plot on Raiwind Road to Maraka on Multan Road, passing through Bahria Town. It was shared that the SL-3 section is an 8-kilometre-long, six-lane dual carriageway, featuring two interchanges, seven flyovers, four service road bridges, and three vehicle subways.