The Executive Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has greenlit the construction of the M-12 (Sialkot-Kharian) and M-13 (Kharian-Rawalpindi) motorways as six-lane roads from the outset.
The approval follows consultations with key stakeholders, including the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).
Rather than expanding the motorways in the future, which would incur higher costs, the committee decided to build the motorways with six lanes initially.
This strategic decision will result in savings of approximately Rs 11 billion, as traffic studies suggested that adding two extra lanes by 2027 would require an additional expenditure of Rs 20.7 billion.
The early construction of six lanes will thus reduce the overall cost of the project in the long run.
As part of the decision, the NHA has been tasked with submitting a position paper and a revised financing structure to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives for further approval.
Furthermore, the NHA must submit a revised project proposal for the Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway (M-13) by April 30, 2025.
The committee also reviewed the progress of the M-6 (Sukkur-Hyderabad) motorway. The NHA presented a revised project cost of Rs 399 billion. This project will be completed in five phases, with the first phase expected to begin its bidding process in October 2025.
NHA is exploring various financing options for the motorway projects, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Government-to-Government (G2G) agreements, and potential funding from international financial institutions.
The committee emphasized the need for integrated planning, particularly in linking the M-6 and M-10 motorways, to enhance logistical movement and improve connectivity with Karachi Port.
With clear timelines set for contract awards and project progression, the SIFC aims to ensure smooth implementation of these critical infrastructure developments, which are vital for improving transportation networks in the region.