Rs4.6bn approved for Multan-Lodhran road dualisation

ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has approved Rs4.6 billion for the dualisation of the Multan-Lodhran Road, with work on the 62-kilometre route set to start within a month.

The approval came after Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani formally sought the project. Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has granted official approval, and the scheme will be financed entirely through the Road Maintenance Account Fund. The project cost has been estimated at Rs4.6bn and completion is expected within one year.

Besides dualisation, the plan includes raising 44.8 kilometres of the existing track so that both carriageways are brought to the same level. This is aimed at improving road safety and making travel more efficient on a route that has remained in poor condition for years.

The road has long posed difficulties for commuters and commercial transporters, with its deteriorated condition contributing to inconvenience, safety risks and delays in travel. Once completed, the project is expected to improve traffic movement in the region, shorten travel time and support economic activity.

Gilani said the move fulfilled a key commitment made to residents of Multan and Lodhran. He said reconstruction and dualisation of the highway would provide safer, better and more efficient travel facilities for the public.

“My priority is to address the long-standing issues faced by the people of South Punjab through sustainable development initiatives. I am confident that this project will be completed within the stipulated timeframe,” he said.

He also reiterated his commitment to addressing old infrastructure problems in South Punjab through sustainable development measures aimed at improving local living conditions.

In 2021, NHA had awarded a Rs6.86 billion contract for the Multan-Lodhran project to Ningxia Communication Construction. However, the authority disqualified the firm in 2023 after it failed to complete the work.