The National Highway Authority is striving for early completion of western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and it is also among the top priorities of the government.
An official of National Highway Authority (NHA) told APP that construction of Hakla-DI Khan has started and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif performed the ground-breaking of Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway.
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 Yarak at Indus Highway (N-55).
He said 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 realised and work on Sorab-Hoshab section was in progress. He said 193 Km Hoshab-Turbat-Gwadar portion has been completed.
He said rehabilitation of DI Khan-Mughalkot section of N-50 would be completed by 2018. Moreover, he said that dualization of 531 km DI Khan to Kuchlak section of N-50 would be operational by 2020.
About dualisation of 211 km Quetta-Kalat-Surab section, he said it was planned to be completed by 2020.The objective of the CPEC is to promote trade ties with neighbouring countries Central Asian States and South Asian countries, which will ultimately prepare the make Pakistan a trade hub in this whole region, he said.
