The completion of Hakla-DI Khan Motorway has proved a milestone achievement on the Western Route of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for providing fast connectivity to the locals as well as paving the way for preparing the shortest route for logistics moving to and from the Chinese province of Xinjiang to Gwadar Port.
Soon after taking the charge, the incumbent gov-ernment had pledged to complete the Western Route on priority besides taking the CPEC projects for-ward by speeding up the pace of work in other areas including industries, clean energy, and agriculture.
The government is also keen to complete other road projects on the western alignment, especially D I Khan-Zhob and Zhob-Quetta roads to minimize the travel time from the federal capital to Quetta.
The National High Authority has recently opened the Western Corridor portion of Hakla-D I Khan Motorway. The 292.5 km long four-lane motorway comprises of 11 interchanges, 36 bridges, 119 un-derpasses, 33 flyovers and 398 culverts.
Muhammad Saleem, a D I Khan resident, currently living in Islamabad said, “The motorway had proved to be a source of big relief for me as I had to spent long and hard time of eight hours to reach my home on the old road that was in dilapidated condi-tion.” However, he said now after the inauguration of Hakla-D I Khan Motorway, the travel time has been reduced to less than four hours.
According to sources in CPEC Authority, the initial cost estimation of the project that was commenced in 2016 by the PML-N government was around Rs110 billion but later on the project (a major por-tion was completed during current government) was completed at a cost of Rs81 billion. The Hakla-D I Khan Motorway was constructed in five packages. The first package is from Yarak (D I Khan) to Rehmani Khel comprising 54.6 km. The 71.2 km second package starts from Rehmani Khel to Kot Belian while the third starts from Kot Belian to Tarap and its length is 52.5 km.
The fourth package is of 51.2 km from Tarap to Pindi Gheb while the 63 km last package is from Pindi Gheb to Hakla. The project starts from Hakla on M-1 and passes through Qutbal, Fatehjang, Pin-digheb, Tarap, Sikandarabad, Daud Khel, Mianwali, crossing River Indus, Isa Kheil, Kundal, Abdulkhel, Paniyala and ends at N-55 (Indus Highway) near Yarak.
