ISLAMABAD -An important under-construction road project Sukkur-Multan Motorway is likely to be completed in time and become operational by year end. An official of National Highway Authority (NHA) over 80 percent of total work has been completed, out of which 392 kilometers roadbed and culvert passage and other structures have been completed. He said that all the bridges have been completed and asphalt pavement works are advancing at full speed and the building construction and ancillary works also being implemented actively.
Multan-Shujaabad section of the project was inaugurated last year by the outgoing government, but it could not be opened to traffic due to incomplete work of the 33 km section, the official said. The motorway is a major component of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor with the bulk of financing to be distributed by various Chinese state-owned banks, he said. In January 2016 the contract was awarded to China State Construction Engineering. He said that objective of the motorway was to provide a high-speed, six-lane toll road facility for efficient and safe transportation of passengers and goods to and from industrial and economic hubs of the country. The road is being built after a framework agreement between the governments of Pakistan and China, he said.
Starting from Multan the six-lane motorway passes through Jalalpur Peerwala, Ahmed Pur East, Rahimyar Khan, Sadiqabad, Ubaro,Pano Aqil and end at Sukkur. The project consists of 54 bridges including one major bridge on River Sutlej. The motorway section has 12 service areas, 10 rest areas, 11 interchanges, 10 flyovers, and 426 underpasses. Interchanges of Sukkur-Multan project are located at Multan, Shujaabad, Jalalpur Pirwala, Uch Sharif, Taranda, Zahir Peer, Bahadarpur, Guddu, Ghotki, Pano Aqil, Sukkur, Bahawalpur Road, Lodhran Road, Alipur Road, Chachran Sharif Road, Kaman Bhutta - Sadiqabad Road,and Sadiqabad-Kashmore Road,JDW Unit 3Sugar Mill Road and Grand Trunk Road.