Pakistan's Rawalpindi Ring Road (a 38.3-kilometre bypass project encircling the garrison city near Islamabad) is expected to open by end of May 2026, though the planned Rs5 billion Thalian interchange connecting it to the national motorway will not be built immediately. Authorities have opted to use a two-way carriageway at the Thalian junction to allow traffic to flow onto the motorway while the interchange is deferred, with the National Highway Authority separately widening a service road to handle the expected load of more than 18,000 daily vehicles at that point. Over 28 kilometres of the road have been surfaced, key bridges are under construction, and work has shifted to three daily shifts as the Punjab government pushes to beat the monsoon season — though the project's total cost has already risen from Rs33 billion to Rs47 billion.