GUJRAT: The 14-kilometer long Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan road will be widened and reconstructed at a cost of one billion rupees to accommodate the heavy flow of traffic on the road where fatal accidents have been claiming precious human lives.

The students and staff of the University of Gujrat, as well as the residents of different rural and urban areas along one of the busiest roads of the district have been demanding its widening and reconstruction for the last few years.

PML-Q MNA Chaudhary Hussain Elahi told Dawn that the Punjab government had approved the construction of the road which had been a major demand of the voters of his constituency.

He added that the a Rescue 1122 office had also been approved for Jalalpur Jattan, whereas he was also striving for the establishment of a modern trauma centre at the town’s civil hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Khurram Shahzad told Dawn that the road widening and reconstruction project would be completed at the cost of around one billion rupees.

He said the project had been approved as a public-private partnership (PPP) venture in the provincial budget for which the authorities concerned would invite different construction firms for bidding.

The successful bidder might be asked to collect toll tax for a certain period from the motorists using the road, he added.

He said the road would be turned into a dual carriageway having 24-foot wide tracks on its each side which would be carpeted with asphalt layer.

The DC said the local land revenue department and other concerned authorities had initiated the spade work of the project to ascertain the requirement of land for road widening.

It is learnt that the authorities have yet to decide whether the project will be executed by the National Highway Authority or the provincial highways department.

Besides local traders and industrialists, the expatriates belonging to the area have also been demanding dualisation and reconstruction of the road that will link the towns of Gujrat and Jalalpur Jattan with Sialkot-Lahore Motorway and the Sialkot airport through Shahbaz Pur bridge being built on the River Chenab.

The bridge project is yet to be completed by the National Logistic Cell (NLC). According to officials 90 per cent of the work on Shahbazpur bridge had been finished, while at least 19-kilometer long approach roads on both sides (Gujrat and Sialkot) of the bridge have also been completed.

The work on the project might be delayed as its funding had not been made available for the last one year, an official said.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2019