‘Tourism expressway’ project hits a snag

Govt puts on hold funding for 123-kilometre-long highway aimed at linking Rawalpindi’s hilly tehsils

RAWALPINDI:

The federal government has halted funding for the 123-kilometre-long tourism expressway from Rawat Pandori Chowk to the three hilly tehsils of Rawalpindi — Kahuta, Kotli Sattian and Murree — and further up to Lohar Topa to Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, the federal government had released Rs1.5 billion for the construction of the new tourism expressway and tenders had been issued.

The project was estimated to cost Rs4.2 billion. A land acquisition notification had also been issued for the construction of the road.

Sources said that the government has halted the project after the recent political stalemate.

According to officials, this will be an alternative road from Rawalpindi to Muzaffarabad, Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta and Kallar Syedan.

The officials maintained that around a 246-kilometre area on both sides of the expressway would have commercial buildings, plazas, factories, markets, hospitals and educational institutions while large parks would also have to be set up along the road.

Two hundred thousand trees were to be planted on both sides of the road. Benches were to be built besides green areas for the promotion of tourism.

Moreover, automated signals and LEDs for advertisement will also feature throughout the expressway. The 123-km-long road was completely signal-free

Officials said that it was not possible to start work on the important project till December 31 next year

PTI MNA Sadaqat Abbasi confirmed that despite the release of Rs1.5 billion, the project has been put on hold.

Abbasi, who had proposed the project, told The Express Tribune that the construction of the tourism expressway would create new employment opportunities in four mountainous tehsils of the Rawalpindi district.

Upon completion, the road was set to be touted as the new ‘tourism corridor’ between Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Galiyat. Five major roads from Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, GB and other cities will be connected to the expressway.

 

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