Daily Times

The National Highway Authority (NHA) is planning to widen two major motorways in the country, Daily Times has reliably learnt.

According to the sources, the authority reviewed such option as long-term planning. “Lahore- Sialkot Motorway (LSM) and Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway are being upgraded from 4-lane to 6-lane each,” they said, adding that although such decisions are not finalized, but the authorities reviewed such options as precautionary measure because the traffic on these motorways is being increased rapidly.

As per official statement of the NHA, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan also held a high-level meeting at NHA to disuse many issues related to the public importance.

The LSM was 91 kilometers newly constructed by the NHA a few years back. It links two major cities of the country begins from Kala Shah Kaku and ends at Sialkot. Through this motorway, traffic pressure on GT road and M-2 was significantly decreased. Initially, the idea of construction of this road was conceived in 2006 by former Punjab’s Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, and its foundation stone was laid in 2007 by former Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf, but no actual work was done. According to the original plan, the LSM would have been opened to the public in 2010 but due to non-availability of funds the Punjab government shelved the scheme.

Similarly, lanes’ enhancement from four to six of Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway is under consideration. Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway project has been approved by the government a couple years back. After fulfilling all required formalities, the NHA also awarded contract. However, the contract was cancelled in August, 2023 by the NHA when the contractor could not submit financial close. This Motorway is a third and final part of the Lahore-Rawalpindi Motorway, a 100km shorter motorway route between Lahore and Islamabad as existing Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2) is 375 km long but the new route Lahore-Rawalpindi would be around 290 km long.

The official statement of the NHA reads that in the said meeting some other important decisions were also taken included as construction of highways from Baila to Awaran and Zhob to Loralai, construction of a new bypass on the Kala Shah Kaku to Multan Road and road from Saggian to Ravi Bridge.

It was also decided to expand the Margalla Highway Islamabad and to connect it to the Islamabad Peshawar Motorway (M-1). The meeting also discussed the ongoing projects of the NHA in all the four provinces and recommended their speedy completion.