The extension work of the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway billed as a catalyst for regional socioeconomic development, will begin next month.
According to the sources, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has a plan to extend Lahore-Sialkot Motorway by building Sialkot-Kharian and Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorways on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis under Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, a senior NHA official told the media.
He stated that the contract was yet to be given and according to the current status, the bids received for the project were opened on July 13.
On August 15, the official said, the successful bidder received a Letter of Intent (LoI) following a thorough evaluation.
He went on to say that a Letter of Support (LoS) would be issued after LoI issuance, followed by contract negotiations. He expects the concession to be awarded by December 2022, after all necessary approvals have been obtained.
Finally, within six months, the concessionaire must achieve financial close (arrange funds for equity and debt). Construction work is expected to begin in June 2023. He stated that the project will take 24 months to complete.
Lahore Sialkot Motorway: Details And Overview
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the 22-kilometer operating segment runs from Kala Shah Kaku to Road Muridke-Narowal (ISPR). The remaining 69 kilometers will be completed over the next few months.
The Frontier Works Organization (FWO), according to ISPR, is working on the 91-kilometer-long motorway. ISPR hoped that the Lahore-Sialkot highway would relieve traffic congestion on GT Road and M2.
This four-lane highway has nine interchanges, eight flyovers, twenty bridges, and 18 underground passes. In addition to the project, three industrial zones and two universities would be constructed. It is linked to the M2 and N5 via the Lahore link road near Kala Shah Kaku. The route parallels the GT road, which runs east of Kamoki, Gujranwala, and Daska, and ends in Sambrial.