Rawalpindi: The divisional administration has decided to revise Project Concept-I (PC-I) for the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project due to a significant escalation in the cost of construction materials, according to news published in the leading newspaper on August 20.
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As per the details, the initial estimated construction cost of the project at PKR 27 billion will now rise to PKR 31 billion. A meeting was held with Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha in the chair and was attended by representatives from the Rawalpindi Division administration, the Project Management Unit of RRR, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO). The meeting deliberated on the substantial increase in the prices of construction essentials such as cement, iron, petrol, and diesel over the past 14 months. This has necessitated an adjustment in the project cost.
Additionally, the meeting also discussed land acquisition for the project. RDA officials shared that 9000 kanals of land are required for the construction of the 38.3-kilometre-long road, with nearly 70% of the land already procured.
A senior RDA official (whose name was not disclosed) stated that the project involves 36 villages in the initial survey. He went on to say that eight villages (mouzas) are located in Gujar Khan, while the rest are in the Rawalpindi Tehsil. Survey work is ongoing, including landmarking in the designated area.
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Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha, serving as the project director, confirmed that the PC-I of Rawalpindi Ring Road would be revised due to the surge in construction material prices. The revision could see the project’s construction cost increase to PKR 31 billion. He shared that the majority of the required land has been procured, with PKR 300 million still available for the purpose. The remaining land acquisition will utilize this funding.