‘Western route of CPEC to be completed during present govt’

Islamabad : Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said that the Western Route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was undertaken from Balochistan by the present government and this dream of prosperity has been turned into reality.

The Western Route of the CPEC will also be completed during the present regime. He was expressing views on occasion of Ground Breaking of dualization of Quetta Western bypass, construction of Dera Murad Jamali pypass and Ziarat Mor-Kach-Harnai-Sanjavi road projects of National Highway Authority, Ministry of Communications, on Wednesday, says a press release.

Murad Saeed said, during the previous fifteen years, 1,100 km long highways were planned. While during the last two and half years, 3,300 Km long national highways projects were planned and work started on them. He said, the present government has turned the dream of western route of the CPEC into reality and this route will be completed during the present government. He said work on Zhob-Khuzdar project has been started while D.I. Khan-Zhob project has been approved and work will be started soon. The Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed recalled that Basima-Khuzdar and Hoshab-Awaran projects have also been started. Work on 796 km long dualisation of Chaman-Quetta-Karachi-Highway will be started this year. Construction and extension of national highways and motorways in Balochistan will not only pave the way for socio-economic uplift of far long areas of Balochistan but it will also cast far reaching positive effects on the economy of the entire region, the Federal Minister added.

Giving details of the projects, Chairman National Highway Authority Capt (r) Muhammad Khurram Agha said, 22.7 Km long dualisation of Quetta Western Bypass project will be completed at contract cost of Rs3,938.78 million. This two lane additional carriageway will be completed in 24 months. 15 bridges and 34 culverts will also be constructed. More than 1715 jobs will be created due to this project. Completion of this project will ease out traffic congestion and reduce travel time by 30-45 minutes which will result in vehicles operating cost savings. He said, 11Km long Dera Murad Jamali bypass will be completed at contract cost of Rs1,456.3 million. Consisting of 2 lanes, the bypass will be completed in 18 months time period. One bridge and 31 culverts will be built in this project.