SIALKOT, May 1: The Punjab government will spend Rs2.5 billion on the construction of new and repair of existing roads in the province.

Official sources told APP here on Thursday that the total length of highways was 40,000km of which 8,000km long roads were being supervised by the Highway Department while 32,000km long roads had been handed over to district governments for the maintenance.

They further said that 1,012km long roads would be completed by the end of current year in different areas of the Punjab while 341km long roads had already been completed.

The government has conceived a policy under which the foreign loans would only be utilized on uplift and face-lifting projects. The step had been taken for ensuring the proper utilization of foreign loans as well as to avoid its wastage.

With the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank, the road sector project would soon be carried out in the province. Under the programme, 295km long roads would be widened to 24 feet from 20 feet. The Pindi Bhattian-Multan Road, Faisalabad-Khushab Road via Sargodha would be widened.

Similarly, under the Annual Development Programme 300km long roads would be constructed and widened, they said.

The Gujranwala-Sheikhupura Road, construction of Sheikhupura bypass, expansion of Pind Dadan Khan-Layyah Road, Mianwali-Muzaffargarh Road and construction of a bridge near Morti on Talagang-Kalar Kahar Road were also included in the programme, they said.—APP