ISLAMABAD, Sept 19 The National Highway Authority has approved rehabilitation and upgradation of Jalalpur-Uchh Sharif Section of the Shujaabad-Trinda Mohammad Panah Road in Multan district at an estimated cost of Rs3 billion.

The approval was given at a meeting of the NHA's executive board held here at the authority's headquarter on Saturday. NHA chairman Altaf Ahmad Chaudhry presided over the meeting.

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) had approved PC-1 of the project in 2006.

It is a 45-kilometre-long road financed by government of Pakistan. The meeting was informed that Rs500 million had been allocated for the project in the current financial year.

The project is part of the prime minister's development package for southern Punjab. With the completion of the project, the entire road section from Multan to Trinda Mohammad Panah via Shujaabad, Jalalpur Pirwala and Uchh, will have an improved connectivity.

The objective of the project is to improve traffic conditions between Trinda Muhammad Panah and Multan, thereby reducing the time needed to travel between the two places.

A bridge over Sutlej river at Eminwala is part of the project. With the completion of the project and construction of the bridge, a big area will become accessible to the rest of the country, giving boost to economic activities there.