ISLAMABAD: The government has released Rs 7.5 billion for the construction of Hakla on M-I to Yarik Dera Ismail Khan Motorway under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18.
According to official latest data released by Planning Commission, a total cost of the project was estimated Rs110.208 billion while an amount of Rs 12 billion had so far been spent on the project.
In addition, the government allocated Rs 38 billion for this project for the year 2017-18. Meanwhile, an official in the Planning Commission said that the construction and land acquisition work on all portions of the Western Route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor was in progress and it was expected the major work on the Route would be completed by next year.The shortest of all CPEC routes is Western Alignment of the CPEC which is 2,463 km in length and starts from Khunjrab, passing through Burhan (Hakla), D.I Khan (Yarik), Zhob, Quetta,Surab and Hoshab and terminates at Gwadar.
The Western Routes’ 615 kilometer Khunjrab-Raikot section has already been completed while Havelian- Abotabad-Manshehra (40 km) section will be completed by May, 2018.
This project is an important part of Western Route of CPEC and the 285 km-long Motorway will be completed in two years at a cost of more than Rs 142 billion.
“The project alignment starts at Hakla, near Tarnol interchange on M-1 and passes through Fateh Jhang, Mianwali, Kundal and ends at Yarak at Indus Highway (N-55).”
He said that the alignment of motorway passed through developing areas and its construction would generate new employment opportunities. Availability of high-speed transportation will pave way for improvement of health and education sectors as well, and local produces will easily be taken to the big markets.
He said that rehabilitation of D.I.Khan-Mughalkot section of N-50 would be completed by 2018 while dualization of 531 km D.I.Khan to Kuchlak section of N-50 would be operational by 2020. The objective of the CPEC is to promote trade ties with neighboring countries Central Asian States and South Asian countries, which will ultimately make Pakistan a trade hub in this whole region.
