The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is preparing to launch an extensive infrastructure rehabilitation initiative valued at approximately Rs. 68.98 million, marking the resumption of municipal road repair projects after a year-long hiatus.

Prioritizing Key Transit Corridors

Municipal teams have initiated technical surveys across the city to catalog deteriorating road segments requiring immediate intervention. From early assessments, Old Airport Road and Rawal Road have been earmarked as top-priority zones due to severe surface deterioration and heavy daily traffic volumes.

Formally designated as the “Framework Agreement for Rehabilitation/Repair of Roads, Footpaths, Storm Water Drains, Manholes and Road Marking at Different Roads of City,” the project encompasses a multi-layered civil engineering scope. Beyond standard asphalt resurfacing, the project framework covers the structural repair of adjacent footpaths, upgrades to storm water drainage systems, stabilization of utility manholes, and the application of new road markings to regulate traffic flow.

With a comprehensive estimated budget of Rs. 68,983,836 inclusive of government taxes, the operational plan spans an anticipated timeline of 12 months once finalized and approved.

Shifting Focus and Past Infrastructure Hurdles

According to an official from the RDA, civic maintenance projects were previously sidelined because administrative attention and funding were concentrated heavily on the massive Rs. 47 billion Rawalpindi Ring Road initiative over the past year. Consequently, no major new road rehabilitation programs were launched across the urban core during that period.

The authority also encountered setbacks with several earlier urban renewal proposals that failed to secure administrative consent from the Punjab provincial government. Among the deferred initiatives was the proposed expansion of Murree Road between Committee Chowk and Chandni Chowk, alongside rehabilitation plans for the corridor stretching between Faizabad and Marrir Chowk.

Other civic planning endeavors met similar reassignments or delays. A proposal to revamp Chaudhry Bostan Khan Road, running from Chaklala Scheme III to the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench, was eventually handed over to the Punjab Highway Department for execution. Concurrently, a proposed underpass engineered to link I.J. Principal Road directly with Double Road at Shamsabad did not receive provincial approval, prompting the RDA to redirect its internal focus toward commercial plaza planning and apartment housing for agency staff.

Approval Process and Next Steps

The newly assembled Rs. 68.98 million road restoration scheme will be officially forwarded to the Punjab government for review and sanctioning. Upon securing provincial clearance, the RDA plans to draft the requisite Planning Commission Form-I (PC-I) documentation before soliciting bids and commencing civil works across the designated zones.