ISLAMABAD — The Rawalpindi Ring Road Authority has postponed the project’s inauguration for the ninth time and decided not to announce another date for the ceremony. The authority will now hold the inauguration ceremony on just 24 hours’ notice.
However, officials plan to open the road to general traffic before the formal ceremony. Officials who repeatedly announced inauguration dates despite incomplete construction have also faced severe reprimands. Following the reprimands, they have stopped commenting on the matter. Construction crews have yet to complete one interchange.
Contractors also need to finish the toll plazas, toll booths, computerized toll collection system, and weighing stations. The Rawalpindi Ring Road Authority in Lahore has directed contractors to complete the remaining interchange and the entire toll collection system, including the booths, by the end of this month. Repeated delays have pushed the project’s estimated cost higher.