M-5 motorway (Pakistan)

The M5 (Urdu: موٹروے 5‎), also known as Multan-Sukkur Motorway, is a north–south motorway in Pakistan, which connects Multan with Sukkur. This motorway is 392 km long and six lanes wide and was built as a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.[2]

M–5 Motorway
Route information
Maintained by National Highway Authority
Length392 km[1] (244 mi)
Existed2018–present
Major junctions
North endMultan M-4
South endSukkur M-6
Location
Major cities
Highway system
Roads in Pakistan

History

Approval for the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) was granted in July 2014.[3] In May 2016, the Pakistani government awarded the contract to build this section to China State Construction Engineering,[2] with the completion date being August 2019.[2] Former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the motorway on 6 May 2016. Actual ground work started in August 2016. The M5 Motorway project forms a cornerstone of the much-larger China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.[4]

Cost and Financing

The Sukkur - Multan Motorway (M-5) cost approximately $2.94 billion, with the bulk of financing financed by various Chinese state-owned banks.[5] 90% of the project's cost was financed through concessionary loans on interest rates of 1.6% from China, while the remaining balance is financed by government of Pakistan.[6]

Route

Starting from Multan the six lane motorway passes through Jalalpur Pirwala, Ahmedpur East, Rahimyar Khan, Sadiqabad, Ubauro and Pano Aqil before it terminates at Sukkur. The project consists of 54 bridges including one major bridge on the river Sutlej. The motorway has 12 service areas, 10 rest areas, 11 interchanges, 10 flyovers, and 426 underpasses.[7] The motorway was inaugurated on 5 November 2019.

Interchanges
M-5 Multan Sukkur Motorway
Interchange Junction Location
Multan Bahawalpur Rd
Shujaabad Lodhran Rd
Jalalpur Pirwala Lodhran Rd
Jhangra - Bahawalpur
Uch Sharif Alipur Rd
Tarinda Tarinda Muhammad Panah Rd
Zahir Peer Chachran Sharif Rd
Iqbalabad Rahim Yar Khan - Sadiqabad N-5
Guddu Sadiqabad Kashmore Rd
Ghotki JDW Unit 3 Sugar Mill Rd
Pano Aqil Local Rd
Sukkur N-5

References
  1. "M5 motorway Length". nha.gov.pk. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  2. "China's CSCEC to build $2.9bn motorway in Pakistan as part of planned 'corridor'". Global Construction Review. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. "Karachi to Lahore Motorway Project Approved". Dawn. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  4. Butt, Naveed (3 September 2015). "ECONOMIC CORRIDOR: CHINA TO EXTEND ASSISTANCE AT 1.6 PERCENT INTEREST RATE". Business Recorder. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  5. "Karachi-Lahore motorway: Project to be completed in 3 years". Pakistan Tribune. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015. 700 Billion Pak rupees = $6.6 billion USD as of December 16, 2015
  6. Haider, Mehtab (28 May 2014). "Govt allocates Rs73 billion for Pakistan-China trade corridor". The News. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  7. Rafique, Faisal (6 May 2016). "PM Nawaz Sharif inaugurates Multan-Sukkur motorway". Geo TV. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
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