950820

Karachi, Lahore,

Peshawar highway to

dualized by next year

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Highway Authority's Executive Board was held under presidentship of Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Shahid Aziz Siddiqi here on Sunday, in which NHA's countrywide national highways programme was reviewed.

THe meeting was told that Fourth Highway project was undertaken with the financial assistance of the World Bank and under this project repair and extension work of 356 km long national highways and 152 kms of existing N-5 was undertaken, besides constructing bridges on River Chenab, over three major nullahs, a canal near Gujrat, and Haro River.

The Board was informed that work on 10 sections of the Indus Highway has been started and that the contractors of these projects i.e., CPECC (China), STFA and FWO have been directed by NHA's construction experts to complete the projects promptly. It was further told that the Japanese Government has agreed to provide financial assistance for construction of the Kohat Tunnel, and in this connection, an agreement has been signed between NHA and OECF Japan.

It was also informed that extension and maintenance work of Khuzdar-Sarab Road (160 km), and Sahiwal-Okara road (30 km) is being completed under Transport Sector Project and that work on 12 projects has been started to dualise the 995 kms of Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar National Highway which will be completed by 1996.

About Lahore-Islamabad Motorway project, the meeting was told that 8 percent work of this project has been completed while remaining work is in progress. It was also told that work on Chiniot Bridge, Thal-Parachinar, Ratodero-Shahdadkot, Shahdadkot-Khuzdar National Highways is in progress. The meeting was further told that Islamabad-Bara Kahu, and Barian-Nathia Gali-Abbottabad highways have been federalized and work on these projects has been started. The meeting approved structure PC-I of a new four-lane bridge over Indus River near Sukkur. The meeting also reviewed the PC-I of Makran coastal highway, extension Project of Dalbandin-Nakundi National Highway, Sukkur bypass and Mansehra-Balakot-Naran National Highway projects.

Expressing satisfaction over the workings of the National Highway Authority, the Members of the Executive Board said, that all the difficulties being faced during the implementation of the projects be removed so that they could be completed within scheduled time-limit and with high standard of construction.

Chairman National Highway Authority Shahid Aziz Siddiqi, on behalf of the Executive Board, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto for her interest in the projects of the National Highways. He said, the Prime Minister's arrival and performing the ground-breaking ceremonies of NHA's projects has greatly encouraged NHA's construction experts, contractors, and consultants, and they are completing the projects with added enthusiasm.

He said, with the completion of National Highways projects, trade-traffic with Central Asia States will be started and newly-independent states of Asia will be linked with deep sea ports of Karachi and Gawadar.-APP