Swat Motorway Phase-II: KP CM wants modalities for project worked out

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed to convene a meeting of relevant federal and provincial officials to work out modalities for the initiation of construction work on the Swat Motorway Phase-II.

An official handout said the 80 kilometres long motorway would connect Chakdara to Fatehpur having nine interchanges and eight bridges. The motorway would have as many as four lanes with the future possibility of extending it to six lanes with interchanges at Chakdara, Shamozai, Barikot, Mingora, Kanju, Malam Jabba, Sher Palam, Matta Khwazakhela and Madayan-Fatehpur Interchange. The estimated cost of the project is Rs37 billion with an additional Rs20.5 billion for purchase of land. Chairing a meeting on the Swat Motorway Phase-II, Mahmood Khan stated that the project was part of the provincial government vision to develop communication routes throughout the province.

He underlined the need to initiate and complete this project on a fast track basis, saying the extension routes would boost the economic activities and create employment opportunities for the local population by introducing new tourist sites near the proposed interchanges.

The meeting was informed that presently, local roads within the Swat valley and rural-urban areas on both sides of Swat River have become bottlenecks due to speedy arrival of vehicles causing delay and congestion.

The project would not only connect the local population on both sides of the Swat River with major communication routes but will also help to boost local agriculture economy by providing farm to market access, promoting tourism, reducing time travel and generating tremendous employment opportunities.

According to present estimates, more than 20,000 vehicles would be able to use this route on daily basis with some of the major areas to benefit directly from the expressway.