From Our
Correspondent
GWADAR: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurates Eastbay Expressway, a $ 153 million project in Gwadar, this afternoon.
Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, concerned federal ministers, Pang Chunxue, Charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Li Bijian, Chinese Counsel General in Karachi, Zhang Baozhong, Chairman of China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), and company representatives were also present.
According to Ms. Pang, 46 companies have registered in Gwadar Free Zone with a total investment of $450 million. The China-funded vocational institute has begun operating with Chinese government scholarships awarded to top students from Gwadar. Faqeer Middle School has enabled the students to go to school without going for miles. The Gwadar hospital will expand the number of bed from 50 to 150. The 3,000 solar panel is being installed for needed households of water to ease power shortage, the seawater dissemination power to be inaugurated today will supply 5,000 tons of fresh water per day upon completion in 2023. Tree planting has turned the area greener. “We are confident that a smart and modern Gwadar will emerge to benefit the local friends”, she said.
The Eastbay Expressway project commenced on 12th Oct. 2017 and was completed on 10th April 2022 after 54 months of construction, becoming an important traffic link that connects Gwadar Port and its free zone with the national road networks, and providing Gwadar Port with much-needed on-land access to international cargo distribution. The expressway starts from China-Pak Friendship Avenue in Gwadar Port and converges with the existing Makran Coastal N10 Highway. The expressway has a total length of 19.49Km, with 6-lane-embankment and 4-lane-pavement in each way and a design speed limit of 100km/h.
At the Eastbay Expressway, PM will meet with fishermen and announce a package for fishermen.
He will also visit China Business Centre (CBC) and meet representatives of Chinese companies.
Groundbreaking will be performed of the 1.2 MGD Desalination Plant, the Installation of 3,000 Household Solar Power Generation System, Huafa commodity display center, Agvon fertilizer plant, Jintai meat processing plant, Hang Geng industrial park, and Hengmei lubricating oil plant.
In an exclusive interview with staff from China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), which undertakes the Eastbay Expressway project, Gwadar Pro reporter was told that the Eastbay Expressway was constructed in various geographic conditions such as coast, mountain, etc. In addition to the road, cofferdam, bridges, and culverts, pavement, works for reclamation, soft ground treatment, excavation, embankment, revetment, drainage and protection, traffic safety and ancillary are also part of the project.
