Construction Of Lowari Tunnel To Be Completed By June-2017: Senate Told

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21th july, 2016) : Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Thursday informed the Senate that National Highway Authority (NHA) had expedited its efforts to complete Lowari tunnel by June 2017. Speaking in the senate during question hour, the ministers said the prime minister had directed for early completion of the project which would greatly facilitate people of the area. Thus, he added extra efforts were being made to complete the remaining work by June, 2017. He said work had been completed on excavation and widening of 8.5 Km (Main Tunnel) and excavation of 1.9 Km Tunnel (Short Tunnel), concrete lining of 3.7 Km out of 8.5 Km in main Tunnel, concrete lining of 1.9 Km Tunnel in full length in short tunnel, intermediate ceiling of 2.2 Km out of 6.0 Km in main tunnel, cable trench in 1.9 Km Tunnel in full length of short tunnel. The road pavement was under process in short tunnel and Girder Launching of Bridge No.

1 & 4 had been achieved, deck slabs of Bridge No. 1 had been casted and pilling work on Bridge No. 2 & 3 were in progress, he said. In his written reply, he said the NHA had started the construction of Hazara Motorway from Hassanabdal Havelian with a total length of 59.

1 Km.

The project being controlled access 23 therefore, Toll Plazas will be at entrance/exits on interchanges of project provided at different locations. There will be five Interchanges on the Motorway and the process of land Acquisition has been been completed from a total 44 villages wherein six fall in the province of Punjab and remaining 38 villages fall in the province of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.

Land has been acquired from the owners on the rate received from Revenue Department and work on initial two sections of the project i.e. Package-I which starts from Burhan and ends up at Jharikas (Km 0 + 000 to Km 20 + 400) and Package-II which starts from Jharikas and ends up at Sarai Saleh (Km 20 + 400 to Km 39 + 611) are in full swing.

He said these two sections shall be operationalized by 30th September, 2017. Whereas, the contract for construction of Package-III i.e. Sarai Saleh-Havelian (Km 39 + 611 - Km 59 + 100) has recently been awarded and the contractor has mobilized at site. This section will be completed by December, 2017.