Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday commended the Communication and Works (C&W) Department for completing the construction and rehabilitation of 1,129 roads within 75 days while saving Rs11 billion. She directed authorities to ensure lane marking on all provincial highways to improve road safety.
Meeting Reviews Development Projects
Chairing a meeting to review ongoing development projects of the C&W Department, the chief minister also approved the establishment of six modern service areas along the Lahore Ring Road. According to officials, these service areas are expected to become operational by December this year and generate annual revenue of approximately Rs500 million.
According to an official briefing, the department completed construction and rehabilitation of 1,129 roads covering 1,795 kilometres at a cost of Rs30 billion by executing work round the clock in three shifts. Officials said the accelerated pace of work resulted in savings of Rs11 billion.
Lane Marking and Beautification Plans
Maryam Nawaz appreciated the department for completing the projects within the stipulated time frame and directed that lane markings be completed on all provincial highways without exception. The meeting also approved a plan for the beautification of the Lahore Ring Road and restoration of its Northern Loop. Officials also presented a separate proposal for improving the appearance of entry and exit points on major roads across Punjab.
Extensive Road Network Development
The meeting was informed that nearly 32,000 kilometres of roads had been constructed, rehabilitated or restored across Punjab over the past two and a half years, while around 6,000 kilometres were completed between April and July this year alone. Progress under the “Sohne Pind Sohniyan Rahwan” rural road development programme also came under review.
Officials informed the meeting that Rs125 billion had been allocated for the Chief Minister’s Initiative, the Local Roads Programme and projects nearing completion, while utilisation of 99 per cent of development funds earmarked for the road sector had been achieved. According to the briefing, the Local Roads Programme completed 1,567 development schemes covering approximately 3,400 kilometres at a cost of Rs79 billion.
Major Road Projects Completed
The meeting was further informed that the 93.5-kilometre Multan-Vehari dual carriageway, the 24-kilometre Faisalabad-Chiniot dual carriageway and the 13-kilometre Tourism Highway dual carriageway had been completed. Officials said 86 schemes under Phase-I of the Road Restoration Programme had reached 77 per cent completion, while work on 41 schemes under Phase-II had achieved 31 per cent progress. They added that all 124 roads damaged by floods had been fully restored. The briefing further stated that 42 new road construction schemes had been included in the current financial programme.
Funding and Future Plans
Of the total allocations, Rs17 billion has been earmarked for local roads and Rs17.23 billion for projects under the Chief Minister’s Initiative, while 907 schemes, including Faisalabad-Chiniot Phase-II, have been approved under the public-private partnership model. Officials also informed the meeting that Rs14 billion would be utilised to complete road projects left unfinished because of funding constraints, while Rs51 billion had been approved for the construction of new roads across the province.
Timeline and Oversight
During the meeting, C&W Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar gave a detailed briefing on the department’s development portfolio. The chief minister directed officials to submit a final timeline for the completion of all ongoing road projects across Punjab.
