Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a special meeting to review the road sector and approved several major infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity across the province.
During the meeting, the chief minister directed authorities to ensure timely and high-quality construction of the Multan–Vehari Road, noting that the province’s first dust-free road project has completed its base and sub-base, while asphalt work is progressing rapidly. She also approved the SL-4 Lahore Ring Road project and granted in-principle approval for phases of the Sialkot Ring Road, which will connect Wazirabad Road to Sialkot-Pasrur Road.
A proposed Thal Expressway project, aimed at linking Bhakkar, Layyah, and the Thal region with the M-4 motorway, was also presented. The meeting further reviewed progress on the Rawalpindi Signal-Free Corridor project, which includes the construction of seven underpasses and one overhead bridge.
The chief minister sought weekly progress reports on key projects, including the Multan–Vehari Road, and instructed departments to ensure the timely completion of all ongoing schemes. She directed that road sector projects be completed by June 30.
Highlighting progress, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that more than 12,000 kilometers of roads have been constructed or rehabilitated in Punjab for the first time, with a special focus on rural link roads. She noted that improved road infrastructure would facilitate easier access from farms to markets and from factories to commercial centers, promoting balanced development across urban and rural areas.
Secretary Communications and Works Raja Jahangir Anwar briefed the meeting on the sector’s performance, stating that 2,143 road projects are underway across the province, including 258 under construction. Under the chief minister’s initiatives, 133 projects were reviewed, along with another 125 schemes.
Under the Road Rehabilitation Program Phase-I, 85 schemes were initiated, with 38 completed and 47 ongoing. In Phase-II, 41 schemes were launched, of which 18 have been completed and 25 are in progress. Additionally, out of 462 schemes reviewed across various cities, 376 have been completed while 86 remain underway.
The meeting also reviewed the Lahore Tourism Highway project through visual presentations, with the chief minister directing authorities to ensure plantation along the route.
