CDWP refers four projects worth Rs352.9bn for ECNEC approval

ISLAMABAD: Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Friday recommended four development projects worth Rs352.9 billion to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Jahanzeb Khan chaired the meeting with secretary ministry of communication, chairmen of the National Disaster Management Authority and National Highway Authority, members of the commission and other key stakeholders in attendance.

The forum took up four projects, including the construction of Hyderabad-Sukkur (306km) motorway, construction of northern section of Ring Road from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh Road, and restoration and revamping of Gujjar and Orangi Nullahs.

The CDWP recommended the construction of six-lane Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway on build-operate-transfer basis to ECNEC. Total cost of the project is Rs308,194.0 million and NHA would execute the project. The project alignment passes through Jamshoro, Tando Adam, Hala, Shahdadpur, Nawabshah, Moro, Dadu, Naushahro Feroze, Mehrabpur, Rasoolpur, Larakana, Khairpur and Sukkur.

The scope of work includes, construction of one main bridge over River Indus, 15 interchanges, six flyovers, 19 overpass bridges, 76 canal bridges, 154 subways, 137 cattle creeps and drainage structure.

The objective of the project is to promote smooth flow of traffic on Karachi-Lahore Motorway section ie from Hyderabad to Sukkur. After construction with advanced facilities, proposed motorway facility would provide an efficient intelligent corridor for domestic as well as international traffic, thereby strengthening and balancing economic development in Pakistan.

The forum also recommended construction of the six-lane northern section of Ring Road project from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the ECNEC.

Total cost of the project is Rs14,703.892 million fully funded by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with three years completion time. The length of the road is 8.7km.

Scope of work includes construction of three lanes dual carriageway, intersection, flyover, bridges, culverts, underpasses, retaining walls and shifting of utilities.

The project aimed to address the traffic problem faced in Peshawar especially, on Warsak Road, GT Road, Khyber Road and Jamrud Road and intersections located on these roads.

The objective of the project is to provide a bypass to the traffic plying between the northern areas and Afghanistan and that plying between the city and outskirts located on northern side of GT Road – Jamrud Road N-5) and Hayatabad Town, Khyber Agency and Regi Model Town, Askari-6, DHA etc.

It would provide an alternate route to the city traffic, open new areas of development so as to put the city growth in a radial pattern rather than in linear direction along GT – Jamrud Road (N-5). It would also reduce environmental pollution.

The forum recommended restoration and revamping of two projects of Gujjar and Orangi Nullahs in Karachi to ECNEC with revised cost of Rs14,956.46 million and Rs15,083.18 million, respectively. NDMA responded to the observations of the CDWP.