The city of Lahore has witnessed many significant developments in recent years. The emergence of new housing societies like Bahria Town Lahore, Lake City, LDA City, Askari XI and the expansion in the area of Defence are some notable examples. As the city is growing horizontally, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) wants to work on vertical growth as well. To that end, the authority has approved new regulations that allow the construction of high-rises in the city. Amidst all these developments, the city’s infrastructure is also improving. The launch of Bus Rapid Transit and the Lahore Ring Road project are two of the finest examples in this concern.
You can read more about Lahore Metro Bus on our website. Now, let’s discuss Lahore Ring Road.
More About the Lahore Ring Road
Ring Road, Lahore, has become an important artery of the city. It is a signal-free corridor, over 80 km long, in Lahore used by hundreds of thousands of people every day.
Quick Facts About the Lahore Ring Road Project
Let’s take a look at some quick facts to get to know more about this mega project.
| Total Length | 85 km |
| Number of Sections | 2 (Northern & Southern Loops) |
| Inaugurated | 2009 |
| Lane | 6 |
| Speed Limit | 80-120 km/h |
| Current Status | Functional |
| Structural Features | Overhead Pedestrian Bridges, Culverts, Underpasses, Flyovers, Emergency Lanes, Carriageways and Interchanges |
History of Ring Road
The construction of Ring Road in Lahore was completed in 2009.
The foundation of this expressway was laid in 2006, however, since the construction of this mega project in Lahore experienced unfortunate delays, it took nearly three years to complete the project. If we take a look at the complete route map of the Ring Road Project (discussed under the next heading), we come to realise that there are two separate sections of this freeway in Lahore: Northern and Southern Loops.
Throughout its history, the project has been developed in multiple phases. According to an estimate, when fully functional, the six-lane mega freeway project will allow 4.5 lakh vehicles to pass through it daily.
Route Map of Ring Road
The route map above shows you details of both the Northern and Southern loops of this expressway in Lahore. The Ring Road project, on the whole, encircles a large part of the metropolis of Lahore. The 40-km long Northern Loop of Ring Road, which has been completed almost a decade ago, connects DHA Phase 5 to Babu Sabu.
The Southern Loop section of Ring Road, Lahore, which has already been planned, will effectively link Bahria Town with DHA Lahore. More details about the construction of this freeway section of the Ring Road has been discussed further in the blog.
Structural Features
Boasting ultramodern architectural aspects, the Ring Road is a freeway in Lahore with some revolutionary features. The total stretch of this mega project in Lahore is around 85 kilometres. The massive six-lane expressway in Lahore includes overhead pedestrian bridges, culverts, underpasses, emergency lanes, flyovers, carriageways and interchanges.
Prohibited Vehicles on Ring Road
Bicycles, animal-driven carriages and other slow-moving vehicles are not allowed on Ring Road, Lahore.
The Proposed Ring Road’s Southern Loop
Below is a list of housing societies in Lahore that are going to be linked after the completion of the Southern Loop of Ring Road project.
- DHA Lahore
- Sui Gas Housing Society
- Eden Park (adjacent to the Lahore Wildlife Park)
- State Life Housing Society
- Eden Gardens
- Valencia
- Lake City
- AWT Scheme
- Fazaia Housing Scheme
- Bahria Town Lahore
The first two portions of the Southern Loop of Ring Road, SL-I and SL-II, are 22.4 kilometres long, starting from Kamahan in DHA Phase V to Raiwind Road in the east of Lahore. They were open to traffic in December 2017. SL-III will stretch from Adda Plot (Raiwind Road) to Maraka (Multan Road), while SL-IV will link Multan Road to Lahore-Karachi motorway and Sharaqpur. These two loops are expected to be completed in 2020.
About Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA)
The Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) has been formed by the government of Punjab to closely monitor the progress of the project as well as carry out maintenance works that are carried out on this expressway every now and then. This authority has been formed according to the Lahore Ring Road Authority Act 2011, which governs the operational aspects of the expressway such as planning, development, management and maintenance of Ring Road.
Once completed, the project will make commuting in Lahore even easier but cutting down the distance of hours into minutes. So, is Lahore in need of more expressways like the Ring Road? Share your answers and feedback with us at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, if you have plans of visiting the city of Gardens anytime soon, then take a look at our comprehensive travel guide for people travelling from Karachi to Lahore.
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