LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday inaugurated the longest Beijing Underpass of Pakistan on the Canal Road here.
The 1.3km underpass has been completed in 125 days. Its height is 5.1 metres and any kind of traffic can pass through it. About 2.5 lakh vehicles will pass through it daily. The completion of this project has provided a signal-free passage from Thokar Niaz Baig to Harbanspura.
Talking to the media after the inauguration ceremony, the CM said the project cost Rs 3.5 billion. “I congratulate the people of Lahore on the wonderful and timely completion of this project,” he said and added the underpass was a masterpiece of architecture and would improve the traffic flow. He said passages of railway vehicles had also been built over the underpass. Moreover, its adjacent road touched the Ring road. He said it was the best plan to tackle the overgrowing traffic in Lahore. The Punjab government improved infrastructure at a cost of billions of rupees across the province and spread a network of roads, underpasses and flyovers. He said the project was a memorandum of Pakistan-China friendship and was completed in a record period. “We have China's Consulate General Long Ding Bin among us today. The Beijing Underpass is actually a bridge between relations of Lahore and Beijing. Pakistan and China cherish a perpetual friendship and we are grateful to China's leadership and people for giving us the striking gift of Pak-China Economic Corridor. This gift expresses their love for Pakistani people and we are proud of it. China has invested more than Rs 60 billion under CPEC and this economic plan will bring prosperity throughout the region,” he said.
Earlier, the LDA DG briefed the CM about the project and said the project was completed by working round the clock. Meanwhile, addressing a meeting through video-link, the CM said that after Lahore and Multan, the Speedo Bus Service would be launched in Lodhran and
Bahawalpur next week. “Delivering modern transportation services to people is our priority for which billions of rupees have been spent,” he said, adding that the Metro Bus Service had assumed a compelling part to improve the transport sector and millions of people were availing this service every day.
Provincial Minister for Transport, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, MNA Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmed, Advisor Dr Umar Saif, the chief secretary, the chairman Planning and Development and other officials attended the meeting at the Civil Secretariat while the relevant deputy commissioners joined it through video-link
Also on Sunday, the CM contacted Pir Hameedud Din Siyalvi and assured him that his reservations would be addressed. He said he would visit Astana Aliya Siyal Sharif in the next few days. Pir Sahib expressed satisfaction over the assurance of the CM. As many as 14 PML-N lawmakers had handed over their resignations to Pir Sahib last Monday in the wake a sit-in that paralyzed the federal capital for 20 days.
On the other side, Federal Minister for Energy Owais Leghari called upon the chief minister on Sunday. Talking to him, Shehbaz said the government eliminated darkness in the country. The past rulers did not take any initiative to end the energy crisis. He said the load-shedding had become history now. Despite barriers created by some political rivals, power projects were completed in a record period.