20000128

Feasibility, design

of Pak-Iran highway

completed

RECORDER REPORT

QUETTA: The feasibility study and detailed engineering design for the construction of 653 km coastal highway connecting Pakistan with Iran via Balochistan have been completed. The highway involving development outlay of Rs 11,441.841 million, would connect Karachi with Iranian coastal town through Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani.

Highway sources confirmed on Thursday that pre-qualification of contractors had already been completed. Taking three years to complete this 653 carriageway would have design speed of 100 km/hour, opening Balochistan coastal belt for speedy trade, commerce and industry enhancing Pakistan's economy with particular reference to fish and fish-based downstream industries.

This coastal highway would have 6.1 meters asphalt concrete pavement with two meters shoulders on either side.

These sources said the highway would give greater fillip to fisheries potential of 300,000 tonnes of Balochistan coastal belt. Present fish catch does not exceed 125,000 tonnes for want of marketing, by Balochistan fishermen per year.

Another 70,000 tonnes of fish from Balochistan coast is caught by trawlers from Sindh for sale and supply to consumers at home and abroad. With the commission of the Pak-Iran coastal highway, the total catch of 195,000 tonnes of fish from Balochistan waters would be marketed to international and national markets by refrigerated containers.

This would be beneficial to the fishermen still leading primitive life along Balochistan coastal villages and town, though the province is annually producing fish valued at more than Rs 1.5 billion, mostly in foreign exchange.

The coastal highway, these sources said would be completed in three phases. Phase one would be from Karachi to Ormara, the second from Ormara to Pasni and the third from Pasni to Iranian coastal town via Gwadar and Jiwani. All these three sections of Pak-Iran coastal highway have been divided into seven sub-sections for methodical and scientific construction in accordance with the standard of international highways.

Asked further about the funds to finance this project, sources said the present government would very much welcome foreign investors, which would also mobilise all its available resources for its early completion from the date of construction.