Engineering Post Report
Sustainable economic development of Pakistan is quite obviously dependent on a robust and low-cost transport and logistics sector. The federal government is fully aware of the vital role the transport and logistics sector plays in the national economic development and in improving the competitiveness in exports from the country to foreign countries across the globe.
National Highway Authority (NHA) is playing a vital role in improving the quality of Pakistan’s road network, which entails in improving the quality and standard of life of the people apart from creating employment opportunities.
Presently the NHA network comprises of 47 national highways, motorways, expressways and strategic roads. Current length of this network is 12743 kilometers. NHA’s existing portfolio consists of as many as 40 ongoing projects involving total estimated cost of Rs 1423096.930 million including foreign aid of Rs 455194.000 million . An estimated expenditure of Rs 892897.202 million was reported t0 been incurred on continued implementation of these projects by June 2019. Against throw forward of 530201.569 million, NHA has been allocated Rs 117514.835 million including foreign aid of Rs 57371.910 million for their continued implementation carrying them to varying levels of completion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2019-20.
Additionally, another 42 development projects, mostly with unapproved status, have also been listed in the PSDP for current financial year involving total estimated cost of Rs 636320.500 million including foreign aid of Rs 14110.000 million and allocated Rs 38952.900 million for accelerated pace of expanding road linkage in the rural and urban areas of the country.
Through the great game changer China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), NHA is connecting Khunjrab to Gwadar . Currently there are number of ongoing CPEC Short, Medium and Long Term projects worth as much as Rs 700 million which are related to NHA.
Out of 17 Short Term Projects (Eastern Alignment), nine projects have already been completed and are Havelian-Burhan (E-35),M1-Gojra (M-1,M-2, M-4), Khanewal-Multan (M-4 Extension) ,Sukkur-Shikarpur (N-65) , Ratodero-Quba Saeed Khan (M-8) , Khunjrab-Raikot including Atta Abad Lake, Quba Saeed Khan-WanguHills (M-8),Wangu-Hills-khuzdar (M-8) and Baasima-Hoshab-Gwadar.
Other 8 projects which are at either at planning stage, under construction and substantially completed include Raikot-Thakot( N-35), Thakot-Havelian (E-35), Gojra-Khanewal (M-4, Multan-Sukkur (M-5),Sukkur-Hyderabad (M-6), Shikarpur-Ratodero (N-55) and Basasima-Hoshab (N-30).All these are scheduled to be completed between 2020 to 2023.
There are six Short to Medium Projects (Western Alignment). Out of these Surab-Hoshab (N-85) and Hoshab-Gwadar(N-8) have been completed and other 4 are in various stages of planning , approval and under construction and include Hakla (Islamabad)- Yarik (D.I.Khan), Yarik-Zhob (N-50), Zhob-Quetta( N-5) and Quetta-Khuzdar( (N-25). All these projects are also expected to be completed by 2023.
And, there are also another 3 Medium to Long Term Projects (Central Alignment) all of which are at Feasibility Study Plan in 2025 stage and their indicative implementation period is between 2025 to 2030. These are 229 kms long Dera Ismail Khan-Dera Gazi Khan, 303 kms long D.G.Khan- Dera Allah Yar and 94 kms long Dera Allah Yar-Wangu Hills.
Lengths of projects completed or under production under Eastern and Western Alignments Projects have been avoided to avoid too much figures to the extent possible.
