The National Highway Authority (NHA) has decided to find a safer alternative route for the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway (M2) in the salt range area. This section is known to be the slowest and most dangerous part of the motorway.
During a recent meeting led by Secretary Communications Ali Sher Mehsud, the Departmental Development Working Party approved a feasibility study for the project. NHA is now seeking a reputable consultancy firm to update the feasibility study and design a detailed plan for the realignment.
The Islamabad-Lahore Motorway, completed in 1997, is a crucial link in Pakistan’s motorway network. However, the salt range section is famous for frequent accidents, natural disasters, and steep climbs, particularly challenging for cargo vehicles with its 7% uphill gradient.
Despite low driving speeds, this 10-kilometer stretch with a 7% downward slope has seen numerous fatal accidents, including a tragic incident where a school bus’s brakes failed, resulting in the death of 40 children. In another unfortunate event, a passenger bus lost control due to brake failure, causing a collision that resulted in the loss of 20 lives.
This dangerous section begins after the Kallar Kahar interchange when traveling towards Lahore from Islamabad. Since the motorway’s opening, there have been over 350 accidents in the salt range, causing more than 200 fatalities.
Given the increasing traffic demands, NHA emphasizes the need for effective solutions to improve safety and accommodate future traffic growth. The proposed plan includes constructing tunnels and tubes, with an initial assessment suggesting the need for 1,115-meter-long tunnels. Once completed, the designed speed will increase to 90 km/h.
A previous study in 2006 recommended building a new alignment for heavy traffic to avoid landslides, but the project was delayed despite strong support from then-Chairman NHA Maj-Gen (retired) Farrukh Javed.