PESHAWAR, Mar 18 : The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Government has submitted Rs276.599 billion PC-I to Planning Commission for construction of 365 kilometers Peshawar-D I Khan Motorway that would bolster regional connectivity and served as international trade corridor.
Engineer Barkatullah Khan, Project Director Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority (PkHA) told that work on Peshawar-D I Khan Motorway, which was the second motorway project of PTI Government, was in advanced stage and construction work would soon start after approval of Rs276.599 billion PC-I submitted to Planning Commission (PC) and ECNEC.
He said the project was taken up with CPEC’s Joint Working Group (JWG) for its inclusion in CPEC framework and was discussed in 9th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting held in Islamabad on November 5, 2019 wherein it was agreed for consideration.
He said Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) had approved its PC-I and the provincial government was considering to execute the project under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode during next four years in case it was not included in CPEC framework.
However, he said a development scheme had already been reflected in ADP of the current year with an allocation of Rs 320 million for DI Khan Motorway and Rs 10 million for conducting feasibility studies and detained engineering designs. Engr Barkatullah Khan said its feasibility studies were completed and the project was in advance approval stage.
The six-lane motorway would begin from Chamkani Area of Peshawar and would pass through Dara Adamkhel, Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and would finally terminate at Qureshi Mor in D I Khan on N-55 from southern side.
He said KP was strategically located in close proximity with Afghanistan and gateway to Central Asian States (CAS) and would become a hub of trade, industries and others economic activities following construction of Dera Ismail Khan-Peshawar Motorway and 81 kilometers Swat Motorway (Phase-II.
These two mega projects would serve as trade corridors between Pakistan and Afghanistan after its linkage with Khyber Pass Trade Corridor up to Torkhum.
D I Khan Motorway would become an international trade corridor (ITC) by providing direct access to Afghanistan and CAS to increase their exports through Karachi and Gwadar ports of Pakistan.
The motorway would be onward linked to CPEC western route for easy access to Gwadar and Karachi ports in future. The project upon completion would also reduce vehicles’ transportation costs.
It would also connect Punjab through Drya Khan bridge in Bhakkar district on River Indus and onwards to Sindh through N-55 besides linking through Hakla-Yarik Motorway and DI Khan-Zhob-Quetta Road leading to Gwadar sea port.
The motorway would link South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Orakzai and Kurram tribal districts through links roads and 19 interchanges and would be completely fenced motorway having 365 km length, 100 meter right of way, two major tunnels with 120 kilometers per hour speed in plains and 60 kilometers per hour in hilly areas.
While terming it a game changer for southern and western districts of the province, the official said the project would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs 276.599 billion and with an additional cost of rupees 20 billion for purchase of land. Two tunnels including one at Dara Adamkhel near Kohat of 5.6 kilometers long and 1.6 kilometers at Banda Daud Shah in Karak district would also be constructed.
