M-4 TO REDUCE TRAVEL TIME, CONTRIBUTE TO TRADE CORRIDOR

[Salman]

Wednesday, January 07, 2015 - Islamabad—Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M-4) would not only reduce travel distance between Faisalabad and Multan but would contribute to national and regional trade corridor and provide better access to the farmers.

An official of National Highway Authority (NHA) informed APP said that M-4 consists of four sections with the first one Gogra-Faisalabad section, second Gogra-Shorkot section,third Shorkot-Khanewal section and fourth Khanewal-Multan section.

The completion all sections of the M-4 would not only minimize the distance of 150 kilometres between Islamabad and Multan but would also save operational cost of the vehicles as well as time and fuel.

To a question,he said that ADB had approved financing of $170 million for the section-1 in 2008-09 but the construction work started in 2011 owing to land acquisition issues.He said work of 58 kilometre Faisalabad-Gojra section of Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M-4) has almost been completed and its inauguration would be done soon.

He said that Faisalabad-Multan Motorway would be a four-lane project but the structure has been prepared with six-lane provision for future expansion requirements,he added.

He said once the entire M-4 gets completed and is connected with national highway of Multan, then this part of the national trade corridor would yield maximum dividends.

For second section of M-4 (Gojra-Shorkot), the process of land acquisition has been completed. Tender documents have been prepared. Only the green signal is required from the ADB. And for the third sector (Shorkot-Khanewal), Islamic development Bank has committed loan and by end of next year this part of the motorway-4 will become operational.

Motorway-4 includes four interchanges, 11 bridges, 19 underpasses, 191 pipe culverts and 55 WCC box and gas culverts.

About 62 km Gojra-Shorkot Section,he said that land acquisition process was in advance stage and Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan was in process of approval by ADP.The official said that contract for 64 km Shorkot-Khanewal section was yet to be award.He said that its portion of Abdul Hakim-Khanewal Section-3 of M-4 overlaps the planned Karachi-Lahore Motorway. The segment from Abdul Hakim - Khanewal will be constructed as part of KLM. Section-3 will be scaled down to Shorkot - Abdul Hakeem approx 20 Km.

He said that Khanewal-Multan Section of M-4 would cost 12.9 billion and 50 per cent of its work has been completed and it is likely to be completed by September this year.