andover of the Largest Transport Infrastructure Project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -- "Creating Greater Development Momentum for the Regions Along the Route"

The National Highway Authority of Pakistan and China State Construction Corporation Limited (CSCC) recently signed the transfer of documents for the Sukur to Multan section ("Sumu Section" Expressway) of the Peshawara-Karachi Highway, marking the official handover of the largest transportation infrastructure project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. 

The Sumu Section, with a total length of 392 kilometers and a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour, is one of the early harvest projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with a total investment of about $2.889 billion.  The project was officially started in August 2016, completed ahead of schedule in July 2019, and put into trial operation in November that year.  The project will cut the travel time between Sukkur and Multan from 11 hours to about four hours.

Xiao Hua, general manager of the "Sumu Section" Expressway project of China Construction, said that during the epidemic prevention and control period, the Chinese members of the project team stayed at the site and made every effort to ensure the orderly operation of the project, has achieved "no interruption for a day" and withstood the test.  Skander Kayam, chairman of Pakistan's National Highways Authority, said: "The Sumu Section of the highway has set a benchmark for Pakistan's modern infrastructure and is a transport corridor that brings development opportunities."

The Sumu Section of the highway passes through Pakistan's major production areas of cash crops, such as mangoes and dates, and promotes the economic and social development of the regions along the highway by ensuring the transportation of local commodities and epidemic prevention supplies. Ghulam Abast, a local mango exporter, said: "The road will greatly facilitate logistics.  I believe our business will continue to grow."  Rafiq Ahmed Brillo, former chief executive of Sukkur, said, "The completion of the road has greatly improved the connectivity between Sukkur and other regions, greatly facilitated the travel of the people, increased the fiscal revenue of the region, and created greater development impetus for the regions along the road."

During the construction period, the project has provided about 29,000 direct local jobs.  A large number of new technologies and new process used in the construction have helped to raise the standard of highway construction in Pakistan.  To ensure smooth operation of the project after handover, the Chinese side helped train more than 500 local operation personnel during the trial operation period.  At the same time, the project is also building schools, roads, Bridges, Wells, canals and other facilities in the villages along the route, and providing living and epidemic prevention supplies to Pakistani employees to strengthen their confidence in the joint fight against the epidemic.

As the first highway in Pakistan with intelligent transportation system, the "Sumu Section" Expressway can realize remote intelligent control system functions such as high-definition monitoring, weather release and event monitoring for the whole section.  "This is a road that the people of Pakistan are proud of".  Sanaullah Haider, director of the project Traffic Operation Center, said: "The intelligent transportation system ensures safer and more efficient operation of the road".  We are confident that we can ensure smooth traffic flow and make the highway more useful".