In October 2016, Chief Minister KPK at that time, Pervez Khattak attended the signing ceremony among KPK Highways Authority and Frontier Works Organization. Total length of the Swat Motorway would be 83 Km including two tunnels (1 Km each). It was supposed to be completed in record time and the work started from both the ends.
Swat has been a major resort of tourists from all over Pakistan. Not only the people of Swat are waiting for the project to be completed but visitors from all over Pakistan are hoping that this project can be completed as quickly as possible that will grant them easy access to Swat in vacation. This will escalate the business opportunities in Swat by many folds.
This motorway starts from Col. Sher Khan Interchange at M1 Motorway (Peshawar – Islamabad) and ends at Chakdara. There are the following 06 interchanges in this motorway route.
- Chakdara
- Palai
- Katlang
- Bakhshalay
- Ismaila
- Dobian
The total estimated cost of this project is 43 billion Rupees and duration of completion is three years. Ex-CM KPK Pervez Khattak inaugurated the 50-Kilometer long section of Swat motorway on 21 May 2018 from Col. Sher Khan Interchange till Katlang. Completion of the project is expected by December 2018 and it seems that since the current CM KPK is from Malakand, Swat; the project might be accelerated and completed well before the given date. Mehmood Khan, CM KPK has inaugurated one of the two tunnels on September 18, 2018.
According to Director General FWO, Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal, 50,000 trees will be planted on both sides of the motorway and the project will be profitable once the number of cars per day reaches to 15,000.
Not only this project will help in attracting tourists to Swat but the local fruit and vegetable farming industry will also heavily benefit from it. The fruit of Swat will have easy access to all parts of the country in less time and with relatively less effort.
