Hakla-D I Khan Motorway likely to become operational by year end.

ISLAMABAD -- The under-construction Hakla-DI Khan Motorway project, part of western alignment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is likely to be completed by end of this year.

An official of National Highway Authority (NHA) told reporter on Wednesday that the motorway would reduce travel time between Islamabad and Dera Ismail Khan and boost economic activities in less developed areas of the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The four-lane 285-kilometre north-south motorway starts from the Hakla Interchange on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway, near Fateh Jang , and termites at Yarik near Dera Ismail Khan.

From Hakla, Fateh Jang, the motorway extends in a southwestern direction passing the towns of Pindi Gheb, Tarap, and Mianwali. Then the route will transverse the Sindh Sagar Doab region, and cross the Indus River near Dhup Sarri village near Isa Khail before entering into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The motorway will continue on wards before terminating near the town of Yarik, north of Dera Ismail Khan.

For ensuring timely completion,he said, the Hakla-DI Khan Motorway had been divided into five sections including Yarik-Rehmani Khail section,Rehmani Khail-Kot Belian section, Kot Belian-Tarap section,Tarap-Pindi Gheb section and Pindi Gheb-Hakla Interchange section.

He said that the motorway includes 11 interchanges, 19 flyovers (6 lanes), 15 bridges (4 lane), 74 underpasses, 259 culverts,and three major bridges (6 lane); one at River Sawan, one at River Indus and third at River Koram.

The expressway will have a 100m wide right of way in order to widen the four lane road to six lanes in future.

He said that work on the 55 kilometer Yarik-Rehmanikhel section awarded to M/s NLC,started in October 2016 and it is scheduled to be accomplished by mid-May this year.

The cost of the project funded by Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), is Rs 12,758 million and so far over 77 per cent physical progress has been achieved.

He sadi that about 60 km Package-II of the motorway namely Rehmanikhel-Kot Belian package which had been awarded to M/s SKB-KNK JV had further been divided in four sections. Work on its first...