ISLAMABAD  -  The National Highway Authority (NHA) has declared three bidders technically qualified to conduct a feasibility study and prepare detailed design for the realignment of salt range on Islamabad-Lahore Motorway.

Firms including a joint ventures led by M/s BK Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Prime Engineering & Testing Consultants (Pvt) and M/s NESPAK (Pvt) Ltd and M/s Finite Engineering Pvt) Ltd. have applied however only first three firms were declared technically eligible.

The final decision to award consultancy would be taken once the finincial proposals of technically viable firms would be evaluated.

The road authority had decided to find an alternative for the realignment of the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway (M2) at salt range area, which is slowest and most dangerous portion of this motorway.

Islamabad-Lahore Motorway is the first motorway of the country and it is considered as important link to the motorway network of the country and it was completed in 1997.

However, the Salt Range section of the M-2 presents significant challenges  such as frequent traffic accidents, exposure to natural disasters and the arduous climbs towards Islamabad for cargo vehicles, facing up to 7% uphill gradient. Since its operation, despite very low driving speed in the area, fatal accidents are a routine matter on said stretch.

The motorway patch that goes through Salt Range is of around 10 kilometers and has 7% downward slope. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous patches of tarmac on the entire motorway. Unfortunately, this patch of motorways has claimed hundreds of precious lives, including that awful incident when brakes of a school bus failed and 40 children passed away.

This particular area starts after the Kallar Kahar interchange, when you are going towards Lahore from Islamabad. Since the inauguration of the motorway in 1997, according to Motorway Police, there have been more than 350 accidents on the motorway in Salt Range and claimed more than 200 lives.

“In light of the projected rise in traffic demand along this corridor and enhance safety, finding effective solutions for the issues in the Salt Range section becomes imperative. Additionally, ensuring a 6-lane traffic capacity for the entire M-2 stretch will further contribute to address the anticipated traffic growth and ensure smooth transportation”, NHA argued in its working paper for the project.

Sources maintained that the road authority wants the realignment of motorway at salt range by constructing tunnels and tubes and tentative assessment indicated that there is a need to build 1115 meter long tunnels on said portion and once completed the designed speed will be enhanced up to 90 km/h.

It is pertinent to mention here that a comprehensive study was carried out on slope stabilisation and realignment of motorway for heavy traffic in the Salt Range in order to avoid incidents of landslides in the area in 2006.

It was decided then that a new alignment meant for heavy traffic only be constructed while the lighter vehicles would continue to ply on the existing alignment.

The estimated realignment cost at that time was around Rs3-Rs4 billion but same could not be started due to one reason or another even though the then Chairman NHA Maj-Gen (Retd) Farrukh Javed was a strong proponent of said project.