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