Shaheer Ahmed
The construction of 79% motorways and 68% highways has been completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC. The entire completion of the CPEC route will connect Gwadar and Karachi to Khunjerab Pass in the North. This includes a 790 km road from Khunjerab to Burhan and a 193 km road from Hoshab to Gwadar.
The role of infrastructure in economic development is of immense importance. It squeezes distance between major cities and reduces travel costs. Under CPEC, a network of roads, highways, and railways have been constructed. According to the recent development, 21% of the 306 km Sukkur- Hyderabad motorway and 32% of Quetta –Gwadar are left. The Islamabad to Dera Ismail Khan motorway has been completed recently. Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway is expected to be complete in the next 30 months.
These networks of roads will reduce travel costs which will have a positive impact on the economy of Pakistan. The access to industries will be made easier with a shorter travel time especially for cargo transport.
With the start of CPEC, eastern, western, and central alignments were decided upon for better business routes. The eastern alignment passes through the heavily populated provinces of Sindh and Punjab where most industries are located. The western alignment passes through the less developed and more sparsely populated provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan, and the central alignment will pass through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Balochistan.
With more than half of the construction completed on these routes, eastern and western routes are expected to be fully functional by 2025 and the third central alignment will be finished by 2030. This will definitely be a big breakthrough for the economy of Pakistan. The business sector will be able to flourish like it has never before. The businesses that won the auction have already speeded up the construction on these highways and motorways.
Business at a truly new wavelength will be seen in Pakistan, thanks to CPEC.
Also read:Â Â https://neemopani.com/the-karakoram-highway-documentary-by-ispr/
