The Executive Board of the National Highway Authority has approved PC-1 for the construction of an 18 km long 4-lane bypass for Dera Ghazi Khan City, at a cost of Rs. 4.24 billion.
The decision was taken during the meeting at NHA head office with Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar in the chair.
The meeting was informed that construction of the bypass was imperative, keeping in view the ever increasing traffic flow coming from Karachi Port on Indus Highway (N-55) and passing through D.G.Khan city.
The city, situated at the junction of Indus Highway and national highway (N-70), is the central point of four provinces with traffic coming from all sides.
Similarly, stone crushing plants built along the national highway and the D.G.Khan cement factory generate a lot of heavy traffic for the supply of crushed stone, sand and cement to the Southern Punjab and other parts of the country.
This is resulting in frequent blockage of heavy traffic on N-75 that passes through the heart of the city, much to the inconvenience of both the commuters and the city residents.
The proposed bypass will solve the traffic congestion and ensure uninterrupted traffic flow besides reducing travel time and accidents. The provision of a better road facility for the inhabitants of the area will lead to more employment opportunities and better living standards.
The meeting was informed that a 60 m wide right of way (ROW) will be acquired for the construction of the bypass. Four major bridges at Vador Nullah, Katchi Canal, D.G.Khan Canal and Manka Canal, as well as a flyover at D.G.Khan-Kashmore railway crossing are also part of the project with a completion time frame of 18 months.
