ISLAMABAD: The government is all set to issue international tender for Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), a critical component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), on upcoming Friday, which would be completed on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis.

This was stated by Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Capt Sikander Qayyum (retired), while addressing at E-Kachehri held at head office of the authority through the NHA's official Facebook page, and answered the questions placed by the people from all over the country.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has recently approved the project at a cost of Rs165.679 billion, and the paper work of Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway is being completed.

It would be advertised at international level, Qayyum added.

The Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway project basis envisages construction of 306-km-long, 6-lane

wide, access-controlled motorway.

The motorway is proposed to be a high-speed toll road facility for efficient and safe transportation, which will start from Hyderabad (end of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway M-9) and terminate at Naro Canal (Start of Sukkur-Multan Motorway M-5).

The project alignment passes through Jamshoro, Tando Adam, Hala, Shahdadpur, Nawabshah, Moro, Dadu, Naushahro Feroze, Mehrabpur, Rasoolpur, Larakana, Khairpur, and Sukkur.

Replying to a question, he said, construction work on Hakla-DI Khan motorway, an integral part of the CPEC is in progress and hopefully it will be completed by mid next year.

Speaking about the Indus Highway, he said, this is an important link between Karachi and Peshawar, and its rehabilitation stands among the priorities.

NHA chairman further said tenders of Zhob-Kuchlak highway would be opened next month.

No illegal toll plaza existed along the entire network of the NHA, he added.

The chairman NHA Capt Sikander Qayyum (retired) further said that Metro road project of 25-km-long from Peshawar Mor to the Islamabad International Airport was scheduled to be completed by mid-February 2020.

Initially, the project was scheduled to be completed in six months but delayed due to other reasons.

Currently, around 97 percent infrastructure has been completed.

Many equipments, escalators, automated gates etc had to be imported but due to the Covid-19, it was delayed.

Now situation is improving and imports have resumed and it is expected that road infrastructures would be completed by end of August 2020, and would be handed over to the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

NHA chairman said that operating bus was the CDA's responsibility and they would look into it.

The chairman NHA said the prime duty of the NHA was to build, operate and maintain inter-provincial motorways and national highways also having links to the ports.

NHA chairman said that in line with the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan on reaching out to the public through holding Khuli Kachehris by organisations under the federal government, the NHA held the E-Kachehry.

NHA chairman Capt Sikander Qayyum (retired) said, "This practice of holding E-Kachehri will also be continued in the future."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020