Lahore-Karachi Motorway top priority in FY 2017
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ISLAMABAD, Jun 12 (APP): Lahore-Karachi Motorway top priority in FY 2017
The present government attaches top priority to construction of highways and for this purpose hefty amount has been allocated in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the upcoming fiscal year.
Rs 34 billion have been earmarked for 230 km Lahore-Abdul Hakeem section of Lahore-Karachi portion of the Motorway, an official source told APP Sunday.
He said for 397 km Multan-Sukkur Section of the same motorway Rs 19 billion have been earmarked.
He said that PKM was part of the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, aimed at upgrading and expanding Pakistan's infrastructure.
He said in view of current allocations, the NHA's priority will be completing ongoing projects within the given timeframe, therefore, a major chunk of allocation will be spent on ongoing projects.
Other important project for which allocation has been allocated Rs 22 billion is Hakla-D I Khan Motorway which will also form part of the western alignment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on May 17 had performed the ground-breaking of the Motorway, which will start from Peshawar- Islamabad Motorway near Tarnol Inter-change and end at Yarak near D I Khan. This project is an important part of the western route of CPEC that stands among the priorities of the government.
The 285 km-long Hakla-D I Khan Motorway will be completed in two years at a cost of more than Rs 142 billion. From D I Khan, this Motorway will be linked up with Mughalkot via N-50 in Balochistan.
Rs 16,500 million is allocated for the construction of 118 km Thakot-Havelian section of CPEC and Rs 4,651 million for Burhan-Havelian section,also part of CPEC.
He said for the construction of Faisalabad-Khanewal Expressway (184km) M-4 (ADB) Rs7 billion have been allocated in the PSDP 2016-17. He said among 29 new schemes the mega project is Basima-Khuzdar (110 km) N-30 which is part of CPEC for which Rs1.3 billion have been allocated.
