SIALKOT: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has prepared a feasibility report for the construction of 49km-long motorway between Sambrial and Kahrian to be built at a cost of Rs22.26 billion, as part of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway project.

According to senior officials of the NHA, the Sambrial-Kharian portion of the motorway would be a six-lane road, which would pass through the under-construction Shahbazpur bridge over the River Chenab, linking Sialkot and Gujrat districts. The road will be connected to Kharian via Jalalpur Jattan areas.

After its completion, the project will reduce the traveling time between the Bhimber, Mirpur, Bagh and Kotli areas of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Lahore via Sialkot and Gujrat as well.

The NHA officials said the feasibility report was expected to get final approval by the federal government at a meeting to be held at Islamabad on Dec 13. It would be attended by technical experts, they added.

The project would be completed in one year period, they said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Dr Farrukh Naveed said Rs43.85 billion were being spent on 91km-long four-lane Sialkot-Lahore Motorway project.

He added Rs5.94 billion were spent on acquiring land for the project. Punjab local bodies minister Mansha Ullah Butt reviewed the pace of the project’s construction work near Sialkot.

The officials told the minister that 20 percent earth-leveling work and 10pc percent infrastructure work of the project has been completed under the joint supervision of NHA and FWO.

They said that Directorate of Design and Consultancy, Risalpur had been ensuring the project quality and standards.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2017