ISLAMABAD - National Highway Authority (NHA) would upgrade and dualise Balkasar-Mianwali-Muzaffargarh Road, Asim Amin, NHA Member Coordination, on Thursday said.
As per directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan on reaching out to the public through holding Khuli Kachehris by organisations under the federal government, Asim Amin held E-Kachehri at Head Office of the Authority through NHA official Facebook Page and answered to the questions placed by the people all over the country.
Asim Amin said Balkasar-Mianwali-Muzaffargarh Road, after federalization, had been given in the control of National Highway Authority. “NHA is now planning and designing for its upgradation and dualisation. In order to provide immediate relief to the travellers, NHA is awarding contracts to make these road potholes free,” he said.
He said NHA was also working for dualisation of 1264km long Indus Highway starting from Peshawar to Jamshoro and Hyderabad. Indus Highway, he added, was being completed with the cooperation of Asian Development Bank. He said dualisation of Indus Highway would be completed by 2027. It is worth mentioning that the distance of Indus Highway is 450km less as compared to GT Road (N-5) between Karachi and Peshawar.
He further said that the project of Shahdara Flyover near Lahore possessed great significance and NHA was working for early start of work on the project. The flyover, he added, would greatly help to overcome traffic congestion there. He hoped that feasibility report of flyover would be completed by June this year and contract would be awarded by November 2021. He further said that as per directive of the Prime Minister Office, complaints regarding overcharging and provision of sub-standard items at motorway service/rest areas were being attended promptly. To this effect, NHA had formed special teams which raided on the spot and took action against the responsible people, he said.
Asim Amin appealed to the travellers to obtain receipt of shopping and compare the rates shown on receipt with the rates declared by the local administration also displayed there. In case of overcharging complaints may be lodged at the phone numbers provided there. He assured that necessary immediate action would be taken against the defaulters.
Asim Amin further said that the total length of NHA network was about 13,000km and maintenance activities on its various segments continue round the year. Traffic volume on Rawalpindi-Lahore GT Road, he said, was increasing day by day and its maintenance was among our priorities. He further said that Rs70-80 billion were required per annum for proper maintenance of NHA network. While available amounts tune to Rs30-35 billion per annum which were collected from toll tax. In such a state NHA had to determine priorities for maintenance of various sections of NHA network. He also requested the travellers to avail facility of M-Tag to avoid long traffic queues at toll plazas. Todate about 30-40 percent people were availing M-Tag facility, he added.
NHA Member Coordination further said that Karachi-Quetta Chaman Highway (N-25) was an important link between Balochistan and Sindh provinces. “NHA is undertaking all possible steps for its dualisation. NHA is also attaching importance to the upgradation of Thakot-Raikot section,” he maintained. He said PC-I for construction of Chitral-Shandur Road had been approved and the project was in tendering process. This important project, he said, would start in next two to three months.
Speaking about Soan Bridge project Rawalpindi, he said, work of shifting of utilities was being completed at a rapid pace. Completion of construction work for Soan Bridge project would be completed this year. He further said that designing and tendering work of Zhob-Kuchlak Highway (N-50) was completed and construction activities would be started in 4-6 weeks. Likewise Hakla-D.I. Khan Motorway would be completed in next few months. He said Sialkot-Kharain-Rawalpindi Motorway project was an important project and steps were being taken to bring it into the tendering process.