GUJRAT: The carpeting of one side of the 18km long dual Wazirabad-Sialkot carriageway up to the Sambrial Dry Port began on Wednesday.

The project is a part of the Punjab government’s rehabilitation of the road infrastructure connecting the Sialkot airport and Lahore-Sialkot motorway with the neighbouring districts and towns.

The pace of work on the project was accelerated in the last few weeks after motorists and residents of both these industrial towns lodged strong protest against delay. A sum of Rs 3292 million is its estimated cost. At least two kilometres portion has already been constructed with concrete slabs, with steel underneath. The concrete portion has been constructed in the area where storm and drain water would often damage the road near Begowala Adda.

Sambrial Assistant Commissioner Ahsan Mumtaz told Dawn that the pace of work had been improved to facilitate the motorists.The road traffic from Gujrat, Kharian and Wazirabad would often use this Wazirabad to Sambrial route to access the Sialkot airport and motorway.

On the other hand the pace of work on the Rs 814.9 million project of 7.5km Sambrial dry port to Sialkot airport road is very slow. It was approved in 2021-22 while the execution was started more than a year ago.

The business community of Gujrat, Wazirabad and Sialkot as well as expatriates have urged the Punjab government to get the work of the project expedited.

Published in Dawn, May 27TH, 2023