Swat Motorway Phase-II okayed

To be completed on public-private partnership basis

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has approved Draft Concession Agreement (DCA) for the construction of its flagship project Swat Motorway Phase-II under Public Private Partnership Model.

This approval was accorded in a meeting of the Public Private Partnership Committee held with Chief Minister K-P Mahmood Khan in the chair.

Provincial cabinet members Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Fazal Shakoor, Riaz Khan, Chief Secretary Dr Shehzad Bangash, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah and other members of the committee attended the meeting.

Participants of the meeting were briefed in detail about the Draft Public Private Partnership Agreement for the construction of Swat Motorway Phase II. While agreeing to the recommendations on Public Private Partnership Agreement, the committee has authorized relevant quarters to formally sign the agreement with the successful bidder.

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Briefing about the project, the forum was informed that 80 km long Swat Motorway Phase II project would be constructed from Chakdara Interchange to Madyan Fatehpur Interchange. Initially, this motorway would have four lanes extendable to six lanes in the future.

The corridor would have a total of 9 interchanges including Chakdara interchange, Shomozai interchange, Barikot interchange, Mingora interchange, Kanju interchange, Malam Jabba-University of Swat interchange, Sher Palam interchange, Matta-Khwaza Khela interchange and Madyan-Fatehpur interchange. Besides, eight main bridges would be constructed at different sites of the river Swat. It was further informed that construction of four rest areas was also be made part of the project whereas link highways would be provided where needed.

Apprising of the status of land acquisition process, the forum was informed that Section IV has been imposed over 48-kilometer, adding that land acquisition process would be completed in all aspects within the stipulated timelines.

The chief minister has termed this project of vital importance for development of the region and said that timely execution of the project should be the priority for which all arrangements and pre-requisites needed to be completed on a fast track basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2022.