ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Wednesday performed ground-breaking of three road projects in Balochistan.  

The projects include dualisation of Quetta Western Bypass, Construction of Dera Murad Jamali Bypass and Ziarat Mor-Kach-Harnai-Sanjavi Road. The projects are being executed by the National Highway Authority (NHA).  Chairman NHA Capt (Retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha while briefing about the projects said that 22.7km long dualisation of Quetta Western Bypass project would be completed at contract cost of Rs3938.78 million.  He said, “This two-lane additional carriageway will be completed in 24 months. 15 bridges and 34 culverts will also be constructed.” He said that more than 1715 jobs would be created due to the project.  

The NHA Chairman said that completion of the project would ease out traffic congestion and reduce travel time by 30-45 minutes which would result in vehicles operating cost savings.  

He said that 11km long Dera Murad Jamali Bypass would be completed at contract cost of Rs1456.3 million. Consisting of 2 lanes, the bypass would be completed in 18 months.  One bridge and 31 culverts would be built in the project. On completion of the bypass, congestion in Dera Murad Jamali Bypass urban would be removed.  

The NHA Chairman said that construction of 162km long Ziarat Mor-Kach-Harnai-Sanjavi Road was of immense importance. The project would be completed at a contract cost of Rs8379.7 million in two years. With 12 bridges and 415 culverts, the project would create more than 8611 jobs for the locals.  

He said the project would improve socio-economic conditions of the area. On realisation, the project would reduce vehicles operating cost by 30 percent whereas travelling time saving would be more than 50 percent.  Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister Murad Saeed said that the western route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was undertaken from Balochistan by the present government and this dream of prosperity had been turned into reality.   

Murad Saeed said that during previous fifteen years, 1100km long highways were planned. While during last two and half years, 3300km long national highways projects were planned and work started on them. He said the government had turned the dream of western route of the CPEC into reality and the route would be completed during the present government.  

He said work on Zhob-Khuzdar project had been started while D.I. Khan-Zhob project had been approved and work would be started soon. The Minister recalled that Basima-Khuzdar and Hoshab-Awaran projects had also been started.  

He said that work on 796km long dualisation of Chaman-Quetta-Karachi-Highway would be started this year.   “Construction and extension of national highways and motorways in Balochistan will not only pave the way for socio-economic uplift of far long areas of Balochistan but it will also cast far reaching positive effects on the economy of the entire region,” he added.