Work on Rs. 5 Billion Thalian Interchange to Begin Next Week

Work on the Rs. 5 billion Thalian Interchange of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project will begin next week as the divisional administration moves to acquire additional land for the site.

Officials have called a meeting to acquire 358 more kanals near the motorway after revising the original plan. Authorities had initially allocated 557 kanals for the interchange, but changes in design increased the requirement. The administration has already imposed Section 14 to proceed with land acquisition.

Divisional Commissioner Aamer Khattak chaired a meeting to address issues related to houses falling within the project area. Officials expect to resolve the matter within the next few days. Authorities consider the Thalian Interchange a key component of the project because the Ring Road will connect with the motorway at this point, where more than 18,000 vehicles are expected to merge daily.

Frontier Works Organisation has received instructions to begin preparations for construction. R3 Deputy Project Director Ashfaq Sulheri said contractors have completed 28 kilometers of asphalt work out of the total 38.3 kilometer stretch.

Crews have finished work on other interchanges and overpasses, while installation of lampposts and lighting systems has started. Workers have also completed jersey barrier installation and expect to finish water channels within two weeks.

After adding the Thalian Interchange, the total cost of the Rawalpindi Ring Road has increased to Rs. 47 billion. The project will feature five interchanges and operate as a six lane controlled access corridor with a design speed of 120 kilometers per hour.

Authorities have decided to adopt the toll model of the Lahore Ring Road. The proposed toll stands at Rs. 80 per vehicle, and the administration will send a summary to the Punjab government for approval next week.