RAWALPINDI: The government of Punjab has released Rs9 billion more for Rawalpindi Ring Road (R3) to expedite work on the project and meet the deadline of December-end for its completion.

However, the contractor, Frontier Works Organisation, will not get Rs4 billion against the work already done due to the delay in the meeting ofExecutive Committee of the National Economic Council (E cnec).

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that Rs12 billion had already been spent on the project and payment made to the contractor. However, the FWO was yet to get Rs4 billion for the work it had already completed.

He said after Ecnec`s approval of the revised PC-I, the Project Management Unit (PMU) would be able to release the funds to the contractor. The official said after paying Rs4 billion to the contractor, the remaining Rs5 billion would be enough to complete the road from Banth to Thallian by June. The remaining funds would be released in the next fiscal year for the project worth Rs38 billion.

Deputy Project Director Ashfaq Sulheri told Dawn that Rs130 million had been paid to Pakistan Railways fora railway bridge to be constructed over the Ring Road. He said the PMU was working to complete the project by the December deadline set by the government. He said more than 45 per cent work on the project had been completed and the speed would further be improved in coming days. He said the road would be ready for black topping within three to four months.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Amir Khattak reviewed the Ring Road project at a meeting on Monday and said the project was a top priority of the government, adding, `We will try our best to complete it before the deadline.

He said funds required for the project had been released after which no delay in the project would be acceptable. He directed the deputy project director to update him about the progress on a daily basis. Also, he willinspect the site every three days and visit the entire route every week.

In a briefing, the commissioner was told that the financial progress on the Ring Road project was 45 per cent.

With the release of the required funds, the physical and financial progress will now be expedited.

In addition, the revised PC-1 had been cleared by the Central Development Working party and was now to be presented at the Ecnec meeting.

The total length of the Ring Road worth Rs38 billion is 38.3km. It will have five interchanges at Baanth, Chak Baili Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thalian.

An industrial zone will be established around Ring Road. The road will be operated at a design speed of 120km/h with six lane controlled accesses.