New Route of Western CPEC- Who are the Winners?

The way they are treating Western Route is strange. 260 Km divided into five phases. Contracts being awarded phase wise as if this side has lowest priority.

Perhaps they are looking for five inaugurations of this 260 km link?

@Shakoor. This is a very standard tactic employed by PML govt which allows them to push through mega projects on a fast track basis. Splitting a big project into smaller ones has many advantages. First, at the approval stage, the higher the project cost the higher the approval forum, greater technicalities and consequent delays. By splitting a project, approvals can be obtained from a much lower forum than ECC.

Secondly, splitting allows faster implementation. Each contractor is responsible for a small section of the project in which he has to show his performance, so work gets done faster. Recent examples include the Islamabad Metro project, Lahore ring road etc.

Lastly, and maybe more importantly, this also allows the government to provide an "opportunity" to more contractors rather than dishing it all out to one. However if past record is anything to go by, this should result in faster progress.

Hi all

Does this mean that the CPEC road will not pass by Multi Orchards? I spoke to some dealers and they are still adamant that it will still go through the original route near ROS and eventually join Hakla interchange. Any confirmed news?

@Ali1. This is typical dealer talk when they speak half truths. When they say it will pass "near" ROS they are probably correct because the M-I motorway section from Burhan to Hakla is main CPEC. ROS is about 2 km from this section of M-I.

On the other hand, when they say it will still go through the "original route", which they were selling to their clients in the past, that unfortunately is a lie. Previously, the Brahma Bahter interchange was planned to be the split-off point from where the Eastern and Western routes would have separated. In that case, the Bahter road on which ROS is located would have become the Western corridor or in other words the CPEC itself, resulting in expansion of this road into at least a four lane highway going all the way to D.I. Khan.

However that plan is now shelved, specially after protest from KPK government who wanted the Western corridor to be a motorway as well. The new split-off point is now Hakla, from where the western route will branch off. This will be a new motorway whose construction contract has already been awarded.

@Raza thank you for clarification. Do you know where exactly is Hakla as I cant find it on map? Thanks

Hakla is the first rest area when you leave Islamabad toward Peshawar on M1.... I think

Regards

You are welcome Ali1. Yes Mr Khan is right. You can find Hakla village located between the M-I motorway and Gulshan-e-Sehat housing society E-18 near tarnol interchange. It also is the first service area when going towards Peshawar.

Allah knows how many times more they will change it. I have plots in AWT hopefully it will have some positive impact

Ali1 previously AWT had become sidelined in the race for hosting the China zone. When the Chinese experts first came to Islamabad to scout for an appropriate site to set up the China CPEC center in Islamabad, AWT was on their priority list because of its strategic location right on M-I/ CPEC. Their main concern was with the issues facing the interchange without which it was useless for them, but the AWT management couldn't do much about it at that time.

Now that work on the interchange seems to have resumed and is being completed, I think it might have emerged as a dark horse in the race. A high level Chinese team will be visiting Islamabad next month to finalize the site of their project. If they manage to get this interchange project in some good shape by then, AWT has a fair chance of securing this heavy Chinese investment. I told you this because you are already invested in AWT, otherwise I wouldn't recommend anyone to invest there because of this possibility just now. The decision will be made entirely by the Chinese themselves and only they will decide where they want to put their money. Good luck with your Investments.

Planning minister Ahsan Iqbal says that work on the Western Route is underway and it will be ready by 2018.

Http://www.dawn.com/news/1287552

Looks like CPEC may start generating effects by the time of next elections.

Hakla interchange will be built or not ? How it impact Gulshan-e-sehat if there is no access to this road through interchange ??

I was passing by motor way and saw cuts of CPEC near HAKLA rest area, which is good for Zone 2 but what I observed that the CPEC route at Hakla is just a connecting point for motorway and CPEC not an interchange, so no direct access of any society which is near by and no rates boost accordingly.

Only AWT has some edge, which is near hakla CPEC Hakla connecting point

Sir, D18 ECHS is currently very much in contact with NHA what they really want to do is to connect the southern avenue of ECHS with CPEC road which will be connected with GT road in future.

Its confirmed news you can see the location of the southern avenue (300ft wide + 40ft service roads) and also contact society officials.