Mahmood directed the authorities to fix realistic timelines for the ground breaking
our correspondent
PESHAWAR
A meeting of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) committee on Swat Motorway Phase-II held here with the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair at Chief Minister’s House Peshawar the other day.
The meeting agreed in principles to the proposed financial model for the construction of Swat Motorway Phase-II project and accorded approval to go ahead on Built Operate Transfer (BoT) model through public private partnership, said an official handout issued here Wednesday.
Provincial Minister for Finance, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Advisor to CM on Energy Hamayatullah Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah, administrative secretaries of concerned department, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment & Trade and other relevant official attended the meeting.
The meeting was briefed in details about the background of the project, its salient features, cost, technical studies, financial models and other related matters. The meeting thoroughly discussed the proposed financial models and implementation plan to materialize the project through Public Private Partnership
The 80-Km long Swat Motorway Phase-II Project to be constructed from Chakdara Interchange to Fatehpur Madyan would have nine interchanges and eight main bridges on River Swat. The local population on both sides of the River Swat would be connected through the aforesaid interchanges and bridges.
The Chief Minister on the occasion directed the authorities concerned to fix realistic timelines for the ground breaking and subsequent completion of this flagship project of the provincial government and made it clear that the project should be completed within the stipulated time period.
The Chief Minister on this occasion stated that he would also try to make this project a part of CPEC Portfolio however he stated that the most suitable financial approach and model would be adopted for the execution of this important project.
“Keeping in view the increasing volume of traffic on Swat Motorway Phase-I, it is very easy to predict that Phase-II of Swat Motorway Project is feasible in all respects that will not only provide high speed travelling facilities to the people, rather will also prove to be a milestone for the promotion of local and international tourism, agriculture and trade and economic activities.
He underlined the need to establish economic zone near the Swat Motorway and said that the region would emerge as trade and economic hub in the coming future,” he added.
Earlier, the forum was informed that the Swat Motorway Phase-II initially would consist of four lanes extendable to six lanes in future. Interchanges planed for the project include Chakdara Interchange, Shamozai Interchange, Barikot Interchange, Takhtaband Interchange, Kanju Interchange, Malam Jabba Interchange, Sher Palam Interchange, Matta-Khwazkhela Interchange and Madyan Interchange Fateh Pur.
Average distance amongst the interchanges is 10-Km and link highways would also be provided where needed. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs. 60.5 billion including cost of Rs. 20.5 billion for land & Resettlement and construction cost of Rs. 37.2 billion.
The meeting was also appraised about the geotechnical and hydrological data of the project, environmental conditions of the project area, possible impacts of the project on socio-economic condition and section wise traffic volume on the corridor.
