M-4 Faisalabad-Pindi Bhattian section to be six lanes by early next year

The Faisalabad-Pindi Bhattian section of the M-4 Motorway will be widened from four lanes to six by the beginning of next year, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said during a visit to the construction project.

Aleem Khan said the government wants to hand Faisalabad an upgraded motorway as a New Year gift. The 53-kilometre expansion answers a longstanding demand from the city's residents for more capacity on the road.

At the Kamalpur Interchange the minister reviewed the work in progress and directed officials to accelerate it by adding machinery and workers. He said the wider carriageway would ease traffic congestion, improve travel conditions and help prevent road accidents.

The M-4 starts at Pindi Bhattian, where it meets the M-2 between Lahore and Islamabad, and runs south through Faisalabad. The stretch being widened is the northernmost section of the route, and Pindi Bhattian lies in Hafizabad district.

Faisalabad is one of Punjab's largest industrial cities, and the road carries its traffic to the motorway network.

Landscaping is part of the scheme. Trees are to be planted along both sides, with a green belt in the central section and date palms.

Aleem Khan ordered officials to finalise designs within one week for modern rest areas for passengers travelling between Faisalabad and Pindi Bhattian, and to ensure proper lighting along the whole section.

TechJuice reported the completion target and the details of the minister's visit. Ua.News carried the announcement in a headline attributing it to Dawn.

Neither report gave a cost for the expansion, the name of the contractor or a completion date more specific than the beginning of next year. Both left open how much of the widening has been finished, when work began, and which agency is executing it.