Islamabad-Charsadda M-1 to open for traffic by March next
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—From Islamabad to Charsadda, Peshawar- Islamabad Motorway (M-1) will be opened for all kind of traffic by March next. Member Operations, National Highway Authority (NHA) Altaf Ahmed Chaudhry said on Wednesday that Islamabad-Burhan section and Rashakai-Charsadda sections had already been opened for traffic.
He said two more sections the Burhan-Swabi and the adjacent Swabi-Rashakai sections-would also be opened for traffic by March 2007. The member said that the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) was one of the most important projects of NHA and its quality construction was its top priority.
Altaf Chaudhry who also has additional charge as Member Motorways of the NHA said the project would be completed on schedule by June 2007 when the last section Peshawar-Charsadda will also be opened for traffic. He said that Indus Bridge has already been opened for traffic while the work on Kabul Bridge would be completed soon. To a question he said that 18 flyovers, 2 service areas, 5 rest areas and 556 culverts were also included in the project.
He said that interchanges would be constructed at Burhan, Swabi, Rashakai, Charsadda, Fateh Jang, Jhang Bhatar and Chhachh. Altaf Chaudhry said that the 152 km Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) would be a 6-lane motorway similar to the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2), and would help promote inter-provincial harmony.
He said, the M-1 is being constructed by the Pakistani construction companies and completion of such big project by local firms will make the country self-reliant in the field of construction.
The project would provide faster and alternate route between Islamabad and Peshawar and cater for international traffic from Central Asian Republics, China and Afghanistan to the ports of Pakistan and industrial areas, he said.