Finally, it seems the long overdue Lahore Ring Road (LRR) may see the light of the day soon. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s mega project has been stalled through the previous six governments, thanks to political glitches, controversies, designing and redesigning multiple times.

The LRR has been promoted as one that shall benefit around 5.54 lac vehicles (on an average) daily, hence contributing to the PM’s highly valued plan of the "Economic Corridor", a trade and transport route that would link Lahore, Karachi and Gwadar to the Silk road between Pakistan and China. It is said that the two friendly neighbours have struck a deal to construct the unfinished stretches of the LRR.

Before the construction gets underway, two mozas (localities) of Kamahan and Gajju Matta have been acquired with a payment of Rs9.8 billion. The total land for the Southern loop will cost more than Rs27 billion.

All over the world, the ring roads are purpose-built superhighways that offer a plethora of advantages to the big cities. They basically comprise a network of main roads that form a ‘ring’ along the outer areas of the mostly urbanised cities.

With a view to decreasing the flow of large amounts of traffic coming from the inner roads, the outer freeway aims to facilitate outbound vehicles to go without upsetting the inbound traffic and vice versa.

The LRR is also believed to reduce pollution levels on the inner roads which are lined on either side by dense population.

The LRR, stretching over 80-85 km, is divided into three portions -- the Northern, the Southern and the Western loops. It starts at Gulshan-e-Ravi near Babu Sabbu and will probably end at the same place to complete the ring. It is estimated that the total cost of the LRR (all three loops included) ranges between Rs180 billion to Rs210 bn. The estimated cost was around Rs7 bn in 1991.

The Northern Loop, a stretch of 40 km, was completed at the cost of more than Rs45 bn in 2012. It goes from Gulshan-e-Ravi to Sagian Interchange and includes Niazi Interchange, Bund Road, Mehmood Booti, Darogewal, Harbanspura, Bhatta Chowk, DHA Phase VIII, DHA Phase VI, Lidhar and Sui Gas society, while also connecting Ferozepur Road through Link Road into the Khaira distributary.

The Southern Loop stretches almost 30 kms and its cost is between Rs55-70 bn, depending upon its final design, engineering technicalities and digital facilities. It shall commence where the Northern Loop culminates at the Suigas society. It consists of three packages called SL-1, SL-2 and SL-3. Package 1, SL-1, of the Southern Loop has a total length of about 9.35 km. It will begin at the Suigas society and go through Kamahan to Gajju Matta. Package 2, SL-2, with a length of 13 kms will start at Gajju Mata on Ferozepur Road off to Adda Plot in Raiwind. Package 3, Sl-3, which is 8 kilometres long, will stretch from Adda Plot to Maraka on Multan Road.

The Western Loop, to be launched after the Southern Loop, will run from Maraka to Mohlanwal, Chung, Shahpur, Shahpur Kangran, Thokar Niaz Baig and Babu Sabu. Its engineering design, feasibility report and alignment have been reviewed by the River Ravi Development project on the special directives of the PM.

River Ravi Commission Secretary RafayAlam says that after the government has finalised the recommendations of the LDA consultants, it will be decided how to deal with the Ring Road. The proposed plan to make realignment of the Western Loop closer to the River Ravi will possibly engender economic zones along the route that will boost revenue-generating opportunities for the Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA), an LDA official opines.

According to the LRRA Chairman Rashid Mehmood Langrial, after the Pak-China talks come to fruition, it will take two years to complete the Southern Loop. "Land purchase process has begun and the government intends to complete the Southern Loop through public private partnership," he says.

JICA, a Japanese company, proposed a 60-kilometre road-line called the LRR for the city in 1991, after the World Bank prepared a feasibility report. The then federal government modified the road design in 1997 increasing its length to 75 kilometres and incorporated Raiwind, known as the Royal Route to the Sharif’s farm houses and the residence of the then prime minister (Nawaz Sharif). After the Nawaz government was ousted in 1999 for the second time over, the LDA and the TEPA proposed it to be 78-km long project, in 2000-01.

In 2004, the then Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi set its length to 77 km, including F.C College Road, Kalma Chowk and Ichhra. The Lahore Ring Road Project formally rolled out on Dec 22, 2004 at a ground-breaking ceremony in the presence of the then president General Pervez Musharaf. Under Sharif’s government in 2008, the LRR’s length was again increased to 80-km and the design was reset as per route alignment proposed in 1997.

The LRR project faced charges of misappropriation when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Mian Mehmood Rasheed disclosed audit report, saying that the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had bent rules to give contract of the LRRA to the NLC and the FWO at high rates without following the bidding procedure in 2010.

He also raised eyebrows for hiring NESPAK as consultants and overlooking competitive companies. Besides, the PAC came to limelight for financial irregularities of around Rs500 million in the LRR construction.