CM rejects design of Swat Motorway

PESHAWAR: The four-carriage design of Swat Motorway has been rejected by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak who has ordered relevant authorities to instead lay down a six-lane network.

This was mentioned in a handout issued on Tuesday. The decision to increase lanes on the motorway has been taken so that traffic flows smoothly, read the statement.

The CM was also quoted as directing the authorities concerned to approach Asian Development Bank and other financial institutions who had shown interest in providing assistance for the project. “Financial assistance will be used if lending terms are suitable for the province. Otherwise the government will complete the project from its own resources.” The CM said the project should start by January and be complete in a year and a half. The cost of the 83 kilometre motorway will be around Rs38 billion, including land acquisition that will cost Rs4 billion. “The road will run from Kernal Sher Khan Interchange to Chakdara Bridge.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2015.