‘Motorways to connect south Punjab cities’

MULTAN: The south Punjab cities are expected to connect via Multan and Khanewal districts with Lahore/Islamabad motorway in May and August respectively, The News has learnt.

The travel time between Lahore and Multan would reduce to two hours from five hours on Lahore-Abdul Hakim-Multan motorway (M-3). Similarly, the travel time between Multan and Islamabad will reduce to only five hours from 8-9 hours, said the National Highway Authority officials. Talking to The News, NHA senior official Sabtain Raza Lodhi said Rs148 billion had been spent on 230-kilometer long M-3. The M-3 starts from M-2 and then it goes to southwest and ends up at M-4 motorway near Abdul Hakim. It is a six-lane motorway with three rest areas between Multan-Lahore route. The project is expected to open on May 15, he said. The M-3 motorway starts from M-2 exit in Lahore to southwest via Sharaqpur, Nankana Sahib, Jaranwala, Pir Mahal and ends at Abdul Hakim.

Lodhi said it was likely that people would enjoy journey between Lahore and Multan in the next two or three weeks. The M-3 has been divided into four parts. The designed capacity of speed is 120-kilometers per hour. Eight interchanges, eight bridges over major roads, 35 bridges over canals, and six underpasses had been constructed. The project was started in February 2016 and currently is in final stages, five months ahead of its deadline, he informed.

The Multan-Islamabad motorway (M-4) is nearing completion. The portion of 62 kilometers between Gojra-Shorkot is expected to be inaugurated in May. The 65-kilometer portion between Shorkot-Khanewal is likely to be inaugurated in August next. The M-4 section between Multan-Uch Sharif will complete in next July. The Uch Sharif to Sukkur section would be completed until December next, he added. The total length of M-4 is 286 kilometers and it will connect from M-3 to Pindi Bhattian via Faisalabad. The 53-kilometer portion of M-4 is operational on Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad route. The 58-kilometer portion between Faisalabad-Gojra is operational. The 62-kilometer Gojra-Shorkot portion is expected to complete in May. The 64 kilometers portion between Shorkot-Dinpur-Khanewal is expected to complete in August next. The 56-km portion between Khanewal-Multan has been operational.

The M-4 would start from Multan to Bahawalpur Road, Vehari Road, Khanewal, Makhdoompur, Dinpur, Abdul Hakim, Shorkot, Wariamwala, Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Painsra, Faisalabad Aminpur, Faisalabad Kamalpur, Faisalabad Deputywala to M-2 motorway, he informed.