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The federal government has conditionally recommended the Lahore–Sahiwal–Bahawalnagar motorway project for final approval, despite the absence of a finalized financing plan and unresolved design issues, according to official documents.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Tuesday recommended the Rs. 465.1 billion project to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Planning said the CDWP completed the required procedural formalities for part of the project, while it approved the remaining components in principle, subject to fulfillment of codal requirements.
Official documents show that the revised project cost is Rs. 201 billion higher than the estimate prepared two years ago. The documents also state that the project proposes financing through the Public Sector Development Programme, even though it is provincial in nature.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier directed that at least 50 percent of the project funding should come from the Punjab government. The Prime Minister’s Office also instructed the National Highway Authority to revise the alignment and submit an updated PC-I incorporating changes in scope, cost, and design.
The Planning Commission’s technical section cautioned that the motorway could affect the viability and planned upgrading of the Mainline-I railway project. It also noted that the cost estimates rely on the Composite Schedule of Rates 2024, despite the availability of a lower-cost 2025 schedule.
The project includes a 220-kilometer six-lane motorway from Lahore Ring Road to National Highway N-5 near Kassuwal and a 75-kilometer four-lane section from near Depalpur to Bahawalnagar.
Source: Express Tribune
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