Lillah-Jhelum Road Complete After Five Years
The Lillah-Jhelum road is complete after five years, giving Jhelum and Pind Dadan Khan a 128-kilometre dual carriageway to the motorway network at a cost of Rs13.538 billion.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif congratulated the Communication and Works Department on finishing the project, which began in 2021. She also directed officials to speed up work on the Jhelum-Pind Dadan Khan Road.
The road links Pind Dadan Khan with the Lillah Interchange. The old road, between 20 and 24 feet wide, has been rebuilt as a 76-foot dual carriageway, which should ease traffic and cut travel times for commuters in the area.
Lillah-Jhelum road: the project in numbers
The project was split into five sections to keep the work on schedule. It includes a 4.2-kilometre bypass at Jalalpur and a 3.98-kilometre bypass at Pind Dadan Khan. Workers built 185 small bridges along the route, and three culverts are due to be finished shortly. Paved shoulders run along the road to strengthen its edges and improve traffic flow.
Officials briefed the chief minister on the details at a meeting on Friday. The improved road network is expected to make travel easier for local residents and commuters, while also supporting trade and business in the region. ProPakistani reported the completion on Saturday.
The completion was announced on Friday, five years after the project was launched. For the people who use the road every day, the wait has been long, and the new carriageway should end the slow, narrow drive that the old road forced on them.
The widening matters because the old road was narrow enough to slow every journey. At 20 to 24 feet wide, it carried traffic in both directions on a single strip, and heavy vehicles had little room to pass. A 76-foot dual carriageway gives each direction its own lanes, which should cut journey times and make the road safer for the trucks that carry salt out of the area.
The chief minister also directed officials to accelerate work on the Jhelum-Pind Dadan Khan Road, the next stretch in the same corridor. That road links the district’s main town with the salt-mining area, and finishing it would complete the route the new carriageway starts.
What the new road changes for Jhelum
Pind Dadan Khan sits in the Salt Range and is home to the Khewra Salt Mine, one of the best known visitor sites in Punjab. Khewra’s glowing pink salt tunnels draw visitors from across the country. The new road gives the town a direct, wide link to the Lillah Interchange and the M-2 motorway, which should make the trip faster for residents, traders and tourists alike.
Maryam Nawaz said the government was not simply building roads but making history in Punjab’s transport infrastructure. She pointed to 35,000 kilometres of rural link roads built or repaired across the province, a programme she called unprecedented.
The chief minister has kept Jhelum in focus in recent weeks. She answered Chaudhry Salik Hussain’s claims in Jhelum earlier this month, and the road completion adds a concrete project to the attention the district has received.
Roads in Punjab: delivery and delay
The Lillah-Jhelum completion stands in contrast to another Punjab road project. The Rawalpindi Ring Road has had its opening delayed for a ninth time, with the inauguration postponed again this week and no new date set. The road was due to open on October 28, but unfinished interchanges and toll works pushed the date back.
Winter has added to the pressure on roads in the north. An avalanche and a landslide closed roads in Kalam and Kaghan this week, leaving tourists and residents stranded until the roads could be cleared.
For the people of Jhelum and Pind Dadan Khan, the wait is over. The road is built, the bypasses are in place, and the link to the motorway is open. The test now is whether the road is kept in good repair, and whether the Jhelum-Pind Dadan Khan stretch the chief minister wants speeded up follows as fast.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Lillah-Jhelum road?
The road is 128 kilometres long, built as a dual carriageway between Pind Dadan Khan and the Lillah Interchange.
How much did the project cost?
The project cost Rs13.538 billion.
When did work on the road begin?
Work began in 2021. The project took five years to complete.
What does the road connect?
It connects Pind Dadan Khan with the Lillah Interchange, linking the area to the motorway network.
What else was built as part of the project?
A 4.2-kilometre bypass at Jalalpur, a 3.98-kilometre bypass at Pind Dadan Khan, 185 small bridges and three culverts, with paved shoulders along the road.
