ISLAMABAD: National Highway Authority (NHA) plans to complete ongoing motorway projects at the earliest and it is expected that the length of motorway network will reach 2000 kilometres in three years.
An official of NHA told APP on Monday that during past one year two section of 115 km have been added to the motorway network while overlay of 357 km Lahore-Islamabad Motorway has nearly been completed.
About the under construction projects,he said that inauguration of the construction work of the Havelian-Thakot Motorway section in April this year.The 118-kilometre section of the motorway, part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is expected to be complete in three years with a cost of Rs133.90 billion.
The stretch of motorway from Havelian passes through Abbottabad,Mansehra and Shinkiari, ending at Thakot. HE said that the work on 59 km Burhan-Havelian expressway (E-35) also known as Hazara Motorway is in full swing and it will become operational by December 2017.The project will cost of Rs 129 billion.
He said that work on 393 kilometres Sukkur-Multan motorway was inaugurated on May 6 this and the six-lane project will be completed with the financial assistance of China.
The motorway starting from Multan would pass through Jalalpur, Peerwala, Ahmed Pur, East Ubaro, Pano Aqil and end at Sukkur. The project would comprise of 54 bridges including one major bridge on River Sutlej.
The motorway will have 12 service areas, 10 rest areas, 11 interchanges, 10 flyovers, and 426 underpasses, he said. He said that ground breaking of Gojra-Shorkot section of Faisalabad-Multan Motorway was done in November last year. Construction for the Rs 17 billion Gojra-Shorkot section had been divided into two phases to ensure completion within the shortest possible time. He said the 56 km Faisalabad-Gojra and 57 km Khanewal-Multan had already been completed and have become functional.
On August 13,the groundbreaking of Shorkot-Khanewal section of M-4 motorway was performed. The project will be completed at a cost of about Rs 22 billion over a period of two years. After completion, the project will improve Pakistan’s vital north-south road network, promote economic growth, create employment opportunities and ensure regional connectivity. Ground breaking ceremony of 285-kilometre motorway project to connect Dera Ismail Khan to Hakla(Islamabad) was performed in May this year,he said.The project, which will be completed in two years at a cost of over Rs. 129 billion, is part of the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The motorway will pass through Pindi Gheb, Sawan, Mianwali, Daud Khail, Rehmani Khel and will terminate at Yarik (D.I. Khan). The Lahore-Sialkot Motorway will be constructed on public private partnership basis and developed as a facility of international standard.
Starting from Lahore bypass interchange on N-5, the motorway will be connected to M-2 near Kala Shah Kaku and end around 15 kilometres to the west of Sialkot, he added. Six interchanges and two service areas will be built on the 89-kilometer motorway to be completed within 24 months. The project will cost Rs 43.847 billion. Frontier Works Organization is the sponsor of the project and National Highway Authority is the implementing authority.
The Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) has been entrusted to Frontier Works Organisation for the next 25 years on Built-Operate-Transfer basis. According to the contract agreement the existing 4 Lane Karachi-Hyderabad Superhighway is being converted in 6-lane Motorway meeting International Standards and Maintain and Operate the Motorway, in line with International Practices over next twenty five years.
About Lahore-Multan section of Karachi-Lahore Motorway he said the total length of this section of motorway will be 333 kilometres, however, the first 102 kilometres of the road between Khanewal and Abdul Hakeem is designed as part of the M-4 Motorway, resulting in overlap of the M-4 with the KLM along this section. The portion of the Karachi-Lahore Motorway between Abdul Hakeem and Lahore will be 230 kilometres in length and will roughly parallel the Ravi River.
The road will begin in Lahore, and pass six interchanges before joining the M-4 motorway near Shorkot and Khanewal. The six interchanges will be located at Sharaqpur, Nankana Sahib, Jaranwala, Samundri, and Pir Mahal. Construction work of the Lahore-Khanewal section costing approximately $1.5 billion was launched in November 2015.
The Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway (M-9) to be completed March 2017,will provide high speed road access from the Port of Karachi to the city of Hyderabad and interior Sindh. Upgrade and construction works on the Super Highway between Karachi and Hyderabad began in March 2015, and will convert the road into a 6-lane controlled access motorway.
Moreover overlay of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2) has almost been completed at the cost of Rs 46 billion.
