Lahore-Multan motorway to be opened next year

ISLAMABAD, Oct 5 (APP): Minister for Communications, Hafiz
Abdul Karim on Thursday said that Lahore-Multan motorway would be
opened for public in next year.
He said, presently total 13 motorways projects are underway
out of which, three already have been completed whereas nine are in
different phases of construction.
He said this while visiting Lahore- Sialkot Motorway and
Lahore-Multan Motorway projects alongwith Secretary Communications,
Mohammad Sadeeq Memon and Chairman National Highway Authority Shahid
Ashraf Tarar to review the pace and standard of the work.
The minister showed his confidence over the project and said
that in 2013 the total length of motorways in the country was 580 Km
which will be extended with four times increase upto 2400 km, which
will create a new history in the country.
He said, the progress at Lahore- Multan motorway project is
satisfactory and will be inaugurated in first week of April, which
is four month earlier than its completion time of August 2018.
He appreciated the efforts of engineers, NHA officers and
Chinese Engineers involved in this project.
The secretary told that the travelling distance from Lahore to
Multan was five hours which will be reduced after completion to
three hours.
He told that a fast paced work is also in progress at Lahore-
Sialkot motorway and this will also be completed till August 2018,
and for the benefit of the public the eastern bypass from Kalasha
Kaku will also be opened well before the completion of motorway.
He said that presently total 13 motorway projects are underway
out of which, three already have been completed whereas nine are in
different phases of construction.
The Karachi, Hazara and Hyderabad have been completed and
other under construction projects will also be opened for general
public till 2018.
Earlier, Chairman NHA, Shahid Ashraf Tarar in a briefing about
the completion of Khanewal-Multan motorway section told that Gojra,
Shorkot and Shorkot- Khaniwal section in also under-construction.
He said that Lahore-Multan motorway will be linked from Abdul
Hakeem and the distance from Lahore to Multan is 230 km which will
cost 148.6 billion.
He said Sukkur-Multan and Havelian-Thakot motorways are CPEC
projects, whereas Sialkot-Lahore Motorways are the projects of
Government of Pakistan which will be completed through public
private partnership with total length of 91.4 km.
This will cost 43.84 billion rupees, adding, this four lane
project was started in February 2017 and will be completed till
August 2018.