ISLAMABAD: Hakla-DI Khan motorway project, an important component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be completed by August 2021. This was stated by Chairman National Highways Authority Capt Muhammad Khurram Agha (retired) while addressing at an e-Kachehri held at the head office of the authority through the official Facebook page.
Agha said the authority is committed to provide better services to the travellers on the motorways and the national highways throughout the country.
He said, total length of the NHA network is more than 13,000 kms.
The NHA is endeavouring to improve maintenance of the roads and gear up pace of work on the motorways and the national highways building schemes to ensure their timely completion.
Speaking about Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway, he said, land acquisition work is underway, while steps are being taken for early start of work on this project.
He said that approval of the project is expected soon and work would be started in three to four months on this project.
We are in full coordination with Sindh province on this project, he added.
In order to facilitate the road users, Balkasar-Mianwali road is being repaired.
Sambrial-Kharian project has been tendered while design and feasibility work on Kharain-Rawalpindi project is in progress.
He said steps are being taken to start work on Bhara Kahu flyover project, for smooth flow of traffic there.
Giving answers to the questions placed by the people, Agha said, upgradation and dualisation of Balkasar-Mianwali-Muzaffargarh road will be undertaken on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. The NHA is also planning to control traffic congestion at Abbottabad.
He said priority is being attached to road maintenance schemes in Sindh province. He expected that work on Kashmore-Bypass will be started by the end of this year with the cooperation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
He said pace of maintenance work on Gharo-Keti-Bander-Thatta road is being geared up.
Work on Hala-Sakrand project will be started in one-month period.
He said the NHA has planned for dualisation of the entire Indus Highway and that work on this highway is in progress in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Answering a question, he said, Bahrain-Kalam road project has been re-tendered. Work is being completed for award of Chitral-Shandur road project.
He said maintenance work on Thakot-Raikot section is also in progress.
On completion of tendering process, work on Rakhi Gajj–Bewata project will be started.
He said work on Gilgit-Skardu road will be completed by the end of this year.
Further, work on Lodhran-Multan section will also undertake in two months.
A comprehensive project is being planned to improve Lahore-Gujranwala section of N-5, he said.
Design work is being done by the consultant for Shahdara Flyover near Lahore.
This project will also be undertaken on PPP mode.
He said, funds for repair and maintenance of roads will be released in one week.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021