Even before the 49th Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Governors Meeting (AGM) ended, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and ADB already announced that they would jointly finance a major new highway in Pakistan.
The project would be a 64-kilometre-long stretch of the M4 highway that will connect Shorkot to Khanewal in Pakistan's Punjab province. In an article by Reuters, AIIB President Jin Liqun stated that he is delighted to take a step forward in their partnership with ADB through this project. He also added that the AIIB is looking forward into deepening the already strong relationship with the bank and expand the collaboration as they seek to address the significant infrastructure financing needs of the Asia region.
The M4 highway will begin at the termination of the M3 (Connects the M-2 Motorway (near Pindi Bhattian) to Faisalabad and the M-4 Motorway) at the Sargodha Road Interchange on the northern outskirts of Faisalabad. It will continue on a southwest course connecting the cities of Faisalabad, Gojra, Toba Tek Singh, Shorkot, Abdul Hakeem, Khanewal, and Multan. Once at Khanewal, it will merge onto the N5 temporarily until the M5 is complete.
The M4 Highway will have three sections:
Faisalabad-Gojra 58 km
Gojra-Shorkot 62 km
Shorkot-Din Pur-Khanewal 64 km
The project cost is around $273 million and is expected to connect other highways, which will connect the cities of Faisalabad and Multan. Whereas two large bridges will be constructed on the River Ravi and
Sadhnai Canal.
*Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pakistan-aiib-idUSL5N17N0Z2
http://conpaper.tistory.com/4027
#Pakistan #Highway #M4 #AsianDevelopmentBank #ADB #AsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank #AIIB #SouthAsia
Written by Jen Derillo. Jen is NGO Forum on ADB's Program Coordinator for Communications.