Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will build Swat Motorway Phase-II, Peshawar–DI Khan Motorway and Dir Motorway to improve road links, trade, tourism and access for remote areas.
KP Government Fast-Tracks Flagship Road Projects
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired an important meeting to review progress on the province’s flagship road sector projects. These include Swat Motorway Phase-II, the Peshawar–Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and the Dir Motorway. During the meeting, officials briefed the chief minister on the current status of each scheme and the steps needed to move towards construction.
The chief minister made it clear that these projects are central to the government’s development agenda. He directed all concerned departments to remove bottlenecks, coordinate closely and ensure that no file is delayed unnecessarily. According to the official briefing, work on designs, land acquisition and legal approvals is already at an advanced stage for most of the motorways.
Swat Motorway Phase-II: Extending the Tourism and Trade Corridor
Swat Motorway Phase-II has been described as a flagship project of the provincial government. The new section will extend approximately 80 kilometres from Chakdara Interchange to Fatehpur, further opening up Swat and surrounding valleys to tourists, traders and local residents. The project includes nine interchanges and seven bridges to be built at different locations over the Swat River.
During the meeting, the chief minister directed authorities to start physical construction on Swat Motorway Phase-II as soon as possible. He stressed that all technical and administrative issues, such as land transfers, design approvals and environmental clearances, must be resolved without delay. Once complete, the motorway is expected to reduce travel time, improve road safety and support year-round access to key tourism spots in Upper Swat.
Peshawar–Dera Ismail Khan Motorway to Link North and South KP
Another major scheme discussed in the meeting was the Peshawar–Dera Ismail Khan Motorway. Stretching around 365 kilometres, this long-distance corridor will connect the northern and southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more directly. The project design includes 19 interchanges and two tunnels to manage difficult terrain and maintain smooth traffic flow.
The chief minister indicated that the government will soon lay the foundation stone of the Peshawar–DI Khan Motorway. Once built, the route is expected to cut travel time between Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and DI Khan, making it easier to move goods, agricultural produce and people across the province. Better connectivity is likely to attract investment to less-developed districts and support the creation of new industrial and logistics hubs along the route.
Dir Motorway to Be Built with Provincial Resources
The meeting also took key decisions regarding the Dir Motorway, which aims to improve access to the northern districts of Lower Dir, Upper Dir and beyond. In principle, it was decided that the project will be constructed entirely using provincial resources instead of relying on federal funding.
By committing its own budget, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government wants to show that it is serious about giving remote districts better road links. Improved access to Dir can support tourism in Kumrat and nearby valleys, ease travel for local communities and facilitate quicker movement of goods to and from markets in the rest of the province.
Public-Private Partnership Model for Two Major Motorways
The chief minister was informed that both Swat Motorway Phase-II and the Peshawar–Dera Ismail Khan Motorway will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. This approach allows the provincial government to share costs and risks with private investors while still maintaining regulatory control and public oversight.
Under the PPP arrangement, private sector partners typically help finance, construct and sometimes operate the motorway in return for agreed payments or toll revenues. For a resource-constrained province, this model can speed up delivery of mega projects without placing the entire financial burden on the government budget at once.
Development and Prosperity for Remote Areas of KP
At the end of the meeting, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reiterated that the government is using available resources effectively and transparently to spur development in remote parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He directed departments to quickly complete all legal and administrative formalities so that practical work on the three motorways can begin.
Better highways are expected to bring multiple benefits, including safer travel, reduced vehicle operating costs, easier access to health and education facilities, and more opportunities for tourism and trade. For residents of far-flung areas, the new motorways could mark a major shift from isolated, difficult journeys to faster and more reliable road connections with the rest of the province and the country.
