After Peshawar - DI Khan Motorway, KP government to launch another major expressway project in the province
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PESHAWAR - Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has directed to convene a meeting of concerned federal and provincial authorities in order to work out modalities for the initiation of construction work on Swat Motorway Phase-II.
According to details, the 80 Kilometers long motorway will connect Chakdara to Fatahpur having 9 interchanges and 8 bridges.
The motorway will have as many as four lanes with future possibility of extending it to six lanes with interchanges at Chakdara, Shamozai, Barikot, Mingora, Kanju, Malam Jabba, Sher Palam, Matta Khwaza khela and Madayan Fatahpur Interchange. The estimated cost of the project is Rs.37 billion with an additional Rs.20.5 billion for purchase of land.
Chairing a meeting regarding Swat Motorway Phase-II, Mahmood Khan stated that the project was part of the provincial government’s vision to develop communication routes across the province in order to provide a conducive environment for investors and connect far-flung areas of the province with major communication routes and network.
The chief minister stated that the project would also help in making the province a hub for national and International tourists which was in line with the present government’s objectives.
He underlined the need to initiate and complete this project on fast track basis saying that the extension routes will boost the economic activities and create employment opportunities for local population by introducing new tourists sites near the proposed interchanges.
The meeting was informed that presently, local roads within the swat valley and rural urban areas on both sides of river Swat had become bottlenecks due to arrival of tourists causing delay and congestion.
The project will not only connect the local population on both sides of Swat river with major communication routes but will also help to boost local agriculture economy by providing farmers market access, promoting tourism, reducing time travel and generating tremendous employment opportunities.
According to present estimates more than 20,000 vehicles will be able to use this route on daily basis with some of the major areas to benefit directly from the expressway including Shamozai, Parrai, Dadhara, Ningolai, Shakardhara, Baidara, Drushkhela, Baza khela, Asharai, Kalakot, Baghderi, Shin, Farhat abad, Kotanai, Ghaskor and Manyar.
