Faisalabad-Khanewal Expressway (E-4), which is a part of National Trade Corridor Highway Investment Programme is expected to start in 2008 and complete by December 2010, according to sources of National Highway Authority (NHA).
According to NHA sources, the prime objective of the proposed project is to improve trade flows and lower transit costs and time by providing a high speed, safe and reliable access controlled expressway system.
The proposed expressway will enhance the trade activities of the country and provide smooth and safe travelling corridor. It will also involve some negative environmental impacts, which are mostly related to pre construction and construction stages of the project and are however manageable by properly implementing the EMP. No long-term and significant adverse environmental impacts are however envisaged for the operation stage of the project. Hence, the project is environmentally feasible provided that the mitigation measures are properly implemented during the project execution, NHA sources mentioned.
In an update project report, which was prepared by the National Highway Authority for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), intends to construct Faisalabad-Khanewal Expressway (E-4) as part of National Trade Corridor (NTC) Projects will provide a reliable, safe and throughway for transportation of goods between central Asian parts and China to Karachi and Gawadar ports. This Project will uplift in the trade activities and in turn increase the economic growth rate of the country. It will also provide easy access to residents of Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Khanewal and Multan districts and will make easy transportation towards Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Most of the land of the proposed project is agricultural, however a small quantity of residential and commercial land will also be acquired. The major towns and cities near RoW are Faisalabad, Gojra, Painsara, Shorkot, Toba Tek Singh and Khanewal.
The project comprises the construction of two-lane dual carriageway from Faisalabad to Khanewal and construction of ten interchanges at different road crossings. Two bridges will be constructed one at Sadhnai Spill channel and other on Ravi River. Nine-meter wide section of land will be raised with plantation in between two carriageways; this will be utilised in future to construct one lane of 3.65 meters on both carriageways.
The carriageway will include paved shoulders at inner and outer sides. The outer shoulder of each carriageway will be 3m wide with 0.5 meter rounding and the inner side will be 0.6 meter wide. The proposed Expressway will be divided in the four construction packages: Package-I Faisalabad-Gojra Section (57 Km); Package-II Gojra-Shorkot Section (62 Km); Package-III Shorkot-Khanewal Section (65 Km) and Package-IV two bridges at Ravi River and Sadhnai Canal.
NHA sources explained that the proposed project is construction of 184km long road, which will start at end point of M-3 (Faisalabad-Pindibhatian) near Faisalabad and will end at N-5 near Khanewal. It will be 'four lane dual carriageway with each lane 3.65m wide.
The proposed project consists of ten interchanges at various road crossings. The bridges and underpasses will be constructed at suitable locations. The Right of Way (RoW) of the proposed project is 100m wide; where as it will be 300m at the location where interchange is constructed.
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