M-13 Motorway project set to transform travel between Kharian, Rawalpindi

Supported through the institutional coordination of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the project is designed to reduce travel

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken another major step toward modernizing its road infrastructure with continued progress on the M-13 Motorway project, which is expected to provide faster, safer, and more efficient travel between Kharian and Rawalpindi.

Supported through the institutional coordination of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the project is designed to reduce travel distance by approximately 100 kilometers. The existing route is being upgraded into a 117.2-kilometer, six-lane motorway that will serve as a strategic and high-speed alternative to the M-2 Motorway.

According to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the SIFC also played a key role in reviving the previously stalled M-12 Sialkot–Kharian Motorway project. In addition, the M-11 Lahore–Sialkot Motorway is being expanded from four lanes to six to accommodate increasing traffic.

Once the M-11, M-12, and M-13 motorway corridor is completed, officials expect 50 to 60 percent of traffic currently using the M-2 between Lahore and Rawalpindi to shift to the new route, easing congestion and improving travel efficiency.

The new corridor is also expected to strengthen regional connectivity by enhancing transport and trade links between Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Sialkot, Afghanistan, China, and Central Asia.

A key feature of the project is the construction of three tunnels at Kallar Kahar, a section long known for frequent road accidents. The tunnels are expected to significantly improve road safety and reduce accidents in the area while ensuring smoother travel for motorists.