Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway M1 is now Open for Traffic

Posted on November 11, 2007
Filed Under >Owais Mughal, Economy & Development
53 Comments
Total Views: 81398

Owais Mughal

The 155 km long Motorway M1 between Islamabad and Peshawar in now open for traffic in its entirety. The 117 km portion of it got inaugurated on October 30, 2007.

M1‘s construction work was initially started in the year 1993 by a Turkish company Bayindar but it left the work incomplete in 1997. The contract was the re-awarded to a consortium called PMC-JV in 2003.

The speed limit on M1 is 120 kmph and it is completed at a cost of Rupees 16 bn.

M1 has 9 interchanges at Fatehjang, Bhatar, Burhan, Rashaki, Swabi, Chachh (under construction), Charsadda, Northern Bypass and Ring road on N-5. There are 3 major bridges on Haro, Indus and Kabul rivers, 18 flyovers, 27 other bridges, 137 underpasses and 571 culverts. 10 services areas— five on the each side of the motorway— would be provided out of which, four mini service areas at km-4 and km-106 have been completed. Six main service areas at Haro bridge, Indus River and Kabul River will start functioning after some time as they are still under constructions

The proposed Pakistan Motorway project is approximately 3000 km long network of access controlled, signal free highways. With the inauguration of M1, 768 km of this network is now operational. Following is the complete list of motorway sections planned and operational in Pakistan.

M1: Peshawar – Islamabad : 155 km (6 Lane, Access Controlled, Operational)
M2: Islamabad – Lahore: 367 km (6 Lane, Access Controlled, Operational)
M3: Pindi Bhattian – Faisalabad: 53 km (4 Lane, Access Controlled, Operational)
M4: Faisalabad – Multan: 243 km (proposed 4 Lane)
M5: Multan – Dera Ghazi Khan: 65 km (proposed 4 Lane)
M6: Dera Ghazi Khan – Rato Dero: 450 km (proposed 4 Lane)
M7: Rato Dero – Karachi: 303 km (proposed 2 Lane)
M8: Gawadar – Ratodero: 1072 km (under construction, 2 Lane road completed and operational)
M9: Karachi – Hyderabad: 136 km (4 Lane, Access Controlled, Operational, 6 Lanes planned)
M10: Karachi Northern Bypass: 57 km (6 Lane, Access Controlled, Operational)
Shahrah-e-Sanat Lahore- Sialkot: 101 km (under construction)
TOTAL : 3002 km

Sunset Over M1

Following photo was taken on October 4, 2008 and is courtesy of Anjum Riaz at APP. It shows sunset on M1.

Related ATP Posts:

1. Traveling on the N5: Part I
2. Traveling on the N5: Part II
3. Traveling on the N5: Part III

53 responses to “Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway M1 is now Open for Traffic”

  1. s.khan says:

    fantastic journey,vision of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

  2. sagar kumar says:

    hey, i am from india. m-1 really looks nice i have lots of questions to ask and i know to fill my thirst i have to visit there….so well

  3. Khalil says:

    I’ve recently traveled on this road, really a good way to reach northern areas.

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