Punjab Arterial Roads Improvement Program revised for approval by ECNEC

The revised proposal for the Punjab Arterial Roads Improvement Program (PARIP) was presented by the Planning Commission to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), as reported by a news source on December 11.

As per available details, the adjusted project cost amounts to PKR 188.807 billion (USD 662.607 million). This also incorporates a Foreign Exchange Component (FEC) Loan totaling PKR 158.144 billion (USD 555 million).

Read: Road Projects, Development Schemes Approved For Several Districts Of Punjab

On August 5, 2023, the ECNEC sanctioned the adjusted PC-I at an exchange rate of 1 USD = PKR 284.9457, resulting in a total project cost of USD 662.607 million.

Regarding financing, the breakdown is as follows:

Federal / Provincial / Self Finance: 16.24% (Government of Punjab)

 Foreign Aid (Grant / Loan): 54.08% (Asian Development Bank (ADB)) and 29.68% (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB))

In addition, official records highlight the need for ECNEC’s approval, emphasizing the Government of Punjab’s evaluation of the Corridor-03 alignment about proposals for the Lahore-Vehari / Bahawalnagar Motorway.

The objective of the PARIP project is to build a 452-kilometer dual carriageway linking various cities within Punjab. Moreover, this involves revamping existing carriageways, constructing new second carriageways within available Right of Way (RoW), and acquiring additional land if required.

Read: Governor Announces Commencement Of Bahawalpur Ring Road Phase-II

Three Main Corridors for Serving Urban Areas

Furthermore, the three corridors serve urban areas as follows:

Corridor 1: Spans 199 kilometers, connecting Chichawatni, Kamalia, Pir Mahal, Rajana interchange, Shorkot Cantonment, Shorkot, Garh Maharaja, Garh More, Chobara, Chowk Azam, and Layyah, linking National Highway N-5, M-3, M-4, and Indus Highway N-55.

Corridor 2: Covers 103 kilometers, starting from Chiraghabad Interchange on M-4, passing through Jhang Bypass, and ending at Shorkot City

Corridor 3: Extends over 150 kilometers, starting from Depalpur, passing through Pakpattan, Arifwala, and Burewala, and concluding at Vehari.

However, all corridors involve various construction elements. Moreover, these include bridges, flyovers, culverts, pedestrian bridges, retaining walls, drainage works, toll plazas, and road furniture.

The project also encompasses land acquisition, resettlement, utility shifting, and establishing a Project Management Unit, Quality Control Lab. Also an an advanced Asphalt Mix Design and Quality Assurance Lab.

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