ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: Four out of five sections of Islamabad- Peshawar Motorway (M-1), from the capital city to Charsadda, will be opened for all kind of traffic in December.

Talking to this agency on Sunday, Member Motorways, National Highway Authority (NHA), Altaf Ahmed Chaudhry said Islamabad- Burhan section and Rashakai-Charsadda sections had already been opened for traffic.

He said two more sections — the Burhan-Swabi and the adjacent Swabi-Rashakai sections — would also be opened in December.

The member motorways said the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) was one of the most important projects of the NHA and its quality construction was its top priority. He said the project would be completed on schedule by June 2007 when the last section, Peshawar-Charsadda, was also opened for traffic.

He said one side of Indus bridge had already been opened for traffic, while the work on the other side was in full swing and it would be opened for traffic in July. About Kabul river bridge, he said it would be completed by June this year.

To a question, Mr Chaudhry said 18 flyovers, two service areas, five rest areas and 556 culverts were also included in the project. He said interchanges would be constructed at Burhan, Swabi, Rashakai, Charsadda, Fatehjang, Jhang Bahtar and Chhach.

He said the 152-km Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) would have six lanes similar to the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2), and would help promote inter-provincial harmony.

He said the M-1 was being completed by the Pakistani construction companies and that such efforts would help make country self-reliant in the field of construction.

Altaf Chaudhry said M-1 would provide faster and alternative route between Islamabad and Peshawar and cater for international traffic from Central Asian republics, China and Afghanistan to the ports of Pakistan and industrial areas. It will also help reduce the transportation costs, ultimately benefiting the consumers, he added. — APP