ISLAMABAD: The PKM project improves Pakistan’s road network and its comprehensive transportation system, shortens travel time for travellers and freight, and reduces the drive from Multan to Sukkur from 11 to 4 hours, according to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) Pakistan PKM Project Sustainability Report.
The report was released at a seminar celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), held by KASB KTrade Securities, a well-known financial think tank in Pakistan, according to Gwadar Pro.
CSCEC PKM represents the highest standard in Pakistan with the highest design level and the most advanced intelligent system.
It adopts Chinese SBS modified asphalt technology and is the only one with full greening along the route and strong flood resistance capacity.
Environmental protection is integrated into the entire project process, including management, design, and construction. A total of 335,800 trees were planted in the project.
The green area on both sides of the road is equivalent to 775 football fields, and the green area of other areas and service areas is equivalent to 81 football fields.
During construction, 9 schools, 800 km of road, 20 bridges, 62 wells, and more than 300 watercourses for the villages have been repaired along the route. CSCEC has also organized medical teams to provide free diagnosis for more than 3,900 residents and distributed 13,200 boxes of medicines to the locals.
The project provided over 28,900 direct jobs to locals and trained over 4,500 equipment operators and over 2,300 management and technical personnel, boosting local employment.
PKM starts from Sukkur, Sindh and reaches Multan, the economic center of Punjab in the north, with a total length of 392 km and a design speed of 120 km per hour.
The construction of the project includes 100 bridges, 468 underpasses, 991 culverts, 11 interchanges, 6 pairs of service areas, 5 pairs of rest areas, and 22 toll stations.
The project is undertaken in EPC model, with a construction period of 36 months.
The project officially started in August 2016 and on July 23, 2019, NHA issued a substantive completion certificate, indicating that the project was completed two weeks ahead of schedule.
On November 5, 2019, an inauguration ceremony was held and the motorway was fully open to traffic. —INP
