ISLAMABAD: (APP) The National Highway Authority is striving for early completion of the Western Route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
An official of National Highway Authority (NHA) told APP that construction work of all five sections of Hakla-D.I.Khan Expressway is going on smoothly.
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. He said that the project alignment starts at Hakla,near Tarnol interchange on M-1 and passes through Fateh Jhang,Mianwali,Kundal and ends at Yarik at Indus Highway (N-55).
He said that the alignment of motorway passes through developing areas and its construction will 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 ground breaking of the up-gradation of Zhob-Mughalkot section was performed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in December 2015.
He said that up-gradation of Zhob-Quetta highway has also been realized and work on Sorab-Hoshab section is in progress. He said 193 Km Hoshab-Turbat-Gwadar portion has been completed and Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on February 03, 2016.
He said that rehabilitation of D.I.Khan-Mughalkot section of N-50 would be completed by 2018.Moreover he said that dualization of 531 km D.I.Khan to Kuchlak section of N-50 would be operational by 2020.
About dualization of 211 km Quetta-Kalat-Surab section,he said that it was planned to be completed 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 prepare the make Pakistan a trade hub in this whole region, he said.