Govt allocates Rs5b to build road infrastructure

Project aims to link twin cities with tourism expressway

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has allocated Rs5.35 billion to build a road infrastructure to link the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad with the tourism expressway.

The 123-kilometre-long tourism expressway is being built from Rawat to Lower Topa Murree and further up to Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The Punjab government has floated a tender allocating a total of Rs5.35 billion for the construction, paving and carpeting of five vital roads which will connect the tourism express with the twin cities.

The provincial government has allocated over Rs1 billion to link Karot Dam Beaver Chowk with Jewra Kahuta.

Similarly, over Rs1 billion have been allocated for the remodelling, carpeting and repairing of Lehtrar road from Rawalpindi, Islamabad to Kotli Sattian. Over Rs1 billion have been allocated to link Cherah with the tourism expressway.

Over Rs1 billion have been allocated to link the tourism expressway with old Murree Road. Similarly, Rs1.58 billion have been allocated to construct a road from Kallar Syedan to Islamabad.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Sadaqat Ali Abbasi said that the tourism expressway is a game-changer project. He said that 30 per cent of work has been completed on the single-free expressway. He said that the expressway will have 25 new tourist attractions including Panjpeer Rocks, which has dense forests, waterfalls, springs and picturesque views.

He said that restrooms, bathrooms, benches and other facilities will be provided to tourists and visitors in these tourist attractions. He said that the expressway will have plenty of tuck shops and parking lots on both sides of the expressway at various places.

Abbasi said that a record 0.3 million saplings, flower and fruit trees will be planted on both sides of the tourism expressway.

The whole land along the lengthy route will be developed for commercial purposes and the construction of industrial and commercial plazas will significantly boost employment prospects, he said.

He said that forests, flowers and fruit trees will also be planted along the five roads which will be connected to the tourism expressway.

Additionally, these roads will also have LED advertising boards and traffic wardens will be deployed for the security of the infrastructure. With the construction of these roads, tourists will have easy and hassle-free access to the hilly tehsils and up to Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2022.