Pakistan has a network of highways that act as key transportation corridors, linking major cities and offering a quick and effective mode of transit. Pakistan’s highways connect cities and make well-known tourist spots easily accessible. The M-2, which connects Lahore and Islamabad, was Pakistan’s first highway. Pakistan now has 11 fully operating highways, with four more under development or planned as future projects.
Here is The List of all Motorways in Pakistan:
Name of Motorway | Route |
M1- Motorway | Peshawar–Islamabad |
M2- Motorway | Islamabad–Lahore |
M3- Motorway | Lahore–Abdul Hakeem |
M4- Motorway | Pindi Bhattian–Multan |
M5- Motorway | Multan–Sukkur |
M6- Motorway | Sukkur–Hyderabad |
M7- Motorway | Dadu–Hub |
M8- Motorway | Ratodero–Gwadar |
M9- Motorway | Hyderabad–Karachi |
M10- Motorway | Karachi Northern Bypass |
M11- Motorway | Lahore–Sialkot |
M12- Motorway | Sialkot–Kharian |
M13- Motorway | Kharian–Rawalpindi |
M14- Motorway | Islamabad–Dera Ismail Khan |
1. M1 Motorway, Peshawar–Islamabad
The M1 Motorway, often known as the Peshawar to Islamabad Motorway, opened in 2007, with several interchanges added afterward. The M1 highway is 155 kilometers long and contains six lanes. It is a six-lane controlled-access highway with a speed restriction of 120 km/h. M1 is a major transportation corridor in Pakistan that links Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Islamabad in Punjab province. M1 has evolved into an important route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. M1 Motorway has 27 minor bridges, 137 underpasses, 18 flyovers, 571 culverts, 14 interchanges, and crossing bridges
2. M2 Motorway, Islamabad–Lahore
The M2 Motorway was Pakistan’s first and was opened in 1997, connecting the country’s capital, Islamabad, to Lahore, the Provincial Capital of Punjab. The M2 is a six-lane, 367-kilometer-long highway. It is a six-lane motorway with 22 interchanges situated throughout the state. The Pakistan Air Force may use it to land or take off several fighter planes, which is a fascinating component of the M-2. There are five petrol outlets and service centers on each side of the M2 Lahore-Islamabad Motorway. Typically, each fueling and service facility is 60-80 kilometers apart.
3. M3 Motorway, Lahore–Abdul Hakeem
The M3 Motorway’s construction began in December 2015 and was finished in 2019. It is a six-lane highway that runs over 230 kilometers from Lahore to Abdul Hakeem. There are three rest breaks and petrol stations available. It is one of Pakistan’s busiest highways. It begins at the intersection of the M2 Motorway in Lahore and extends to the intersection of the M4 Pindi Bhattian-Multan Motorway in Abdul Hakeem.
4. M4 Motorway, Pindi Bhattian–Multan
This highway’s development began in 2009 and was completed in 2019. The M4 Motorway stretches 309 kilometers from Pindi Bhattian to Multan, having four lanes on either side of the motorway to help with heavy traffic flow. It connects various cities in the Punjab province, including Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Shorkot, and Khanewal.
5. M5 Motorway, Multan–Sukkur
The Multan-Sukkur Motorway opened in November 2019 and was finished in 2019. It’s 392 kilometers long and contains six lanes. One of the CPECC’s critical projects is the M5 motorway. It is a 6-lane motorway with 11 interchanges that connect various Punjab cities. It has 426 underpasses, 10 flyovers, ten rest stops, and twelve service areas.
6. M6 Motorway, Sukkur–Hyderabad (In Construction)
The M6 motorway from Sukkur to Hyderabad is still under development and not yet operational. The M6 Motorway will be a 306-kilometer-long, 120-kilometer-per-hour high-speed expressway with 243 underpasses, 89 bridges, and 15 interchanges. Its construction project is part of the larger China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Eastern Alignment (CPEC). The highway’s construction will cost around $1.7 billion. It is scheduled to go into operation in 2024.
7. M7 Motorway, Dadu–Hub (In Construction)
The M7 Motorway will go from Dadu to Hub and cover a distance of 270 kilometers. The project is still in the works, and construction has yet to begin. The highway is being built and is still under development. M7, once completed, would provide a link between the cities of Dadu in Sindh province and Hub in Balochistan province. M7 runs around 540 kilometers from Ratodero to Karachi and is part of the north-south route from Islamabad to Karachi.
8. M8 Motorway, Ratodero–Gwadar (In Construction)
The M-8 Motorway is one of Pakistan’s longest, stretching 892 kilometers from Ratodero to Gwadar. The highway is only half operational, while the remainder is under development. It connects Sukkur to Larkana and then to Gwadar. M-8 will run from Ratodero in Sindh province across Balochistan, passing near Khuzdar and Turbat before linking to the Makran Coastal Highway just east of Gwadar. The M8 will run near the Mirani Dam and cross the Dasht River in Balochistan Province. It will feature four lanes in total.
9. M9 Motorway, Hyderabad–Karachi
The M9 Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway is one of Pakistan’s most important highways, linking Karachi and Hyderabad, the two main cities in Sindh. The M9 Motorway from Hyderabad to Karachi is a 136-kilometer-long six-lane highway with eight interchanges developed along its length. It has been in service since 2018. This roadway was renovated into a 6-lane highway with controlled exit and entrance points.
The interchange offers an instant link between Karachi’s Bahria Town and Sukkur. To assist passengers, the stretch of the highway that travels through the trade-off is a 400-meter-wide, 18-lane two-way road. The National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Federal Government are now working on a plan to increase the M9 Motorway’s six lanes to eight.
10. M10 Motorway, Karachi Northern Bypass
This 57-kilometer-long M10 Motorway is also known as the Karachi Northern Bypass. The two-lane Motorway opened in 2007, with intentions to expand it to four lanes in the future. The M-10 Motorway connects Karachi Port to the M-9 Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway. The M-10 Motorway allows the haulers to go as swiftly as possible between the two destinations.
11. M11 Motorway, Lahore–Sialkot
The Lahore-Sialkot or M11 Motorway, which spans 103 kilometers and has four lanes, twenty bridges, eight flyovers, nine interchanges, and 18 underpasses, became fully operational on March 18, 2020. It is a north-south roadway that connects the towns of Sialkot and Lahore in eastern Punjab. The government invested 44 billion dollars in its construction. Instead of using the lengthier alternate route through the N-5, which is 145 km long and takes more than 2 hours, the journey between Sialkot and Lahore now takes only 50 minutes.
12. M12 Motorway, Sialkot–Kharian (In Construction)
M-12 is one of Pakistan’s motorways that is still under development and must be operational. The M-12 motorway in Pakistan, commonly known as the Sialkot-Kharian highway, has been under construction since July 2022 and is scheduled to be finished in 2023. M-12 will be 69 kilometers long, with five interchanges, a service station, and a one-kilometer (0.62-mile) bridge across the Chenab River. The M-12 will be a four-lane (and maybe six-lane) roadway with a design speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) and a two-year completion schedule.
13. M13 Motorway, Kharian–Rawalpindi (In Construction)
The M13 Motorway is a proposed project that would connect Kharian and Rawalpindi. It is 117 kilometers long and contains four lanes. The construction is planned to begin in 2023. This freeway would cross the Salt Range between Dina and Sohawa via two twin-tube tunnels of 1.3 km and 0.6 km, respectively, if completed. It will also include 26 bridges, one of which will cross the Jhelum River, eight interchanges, and two service areas.
The M-13 will be a four-lane (and maybe six-lane) highway with a design speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) and a two-year completion schedule. The upcoming M-13 Motorway would reduce the travel between Islamabad and Lahore by one hour when compared to the M2 Motorway.
14. M14 Motorway, Islamabad–Dera Ismail Khan
The M14 Motorway, which connects Islamabad with Dera Ismail Khan, was completed in 2021 and spans 285 kilometers. This is a six-lane highway known as the Hakla-Yarik Highway. M-14 connects the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan region with the southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Dera Ismail Khan.
This 285-kilometer-long route is part of the CPEC’s Western Alignment. M-14, which opened on January 5, 2022, has 119 underpasses, 33 flyovers, 36 bridges, and 11 interchanges, as well as a 100-meter-wide right-of-way that allows for future extension of the four-lane road to six lanes if traffic demand increases.
Motorway M-TAG
The M-TAG has been made compulsory on the M-2 and M-9 highways.
Importance and Benefits of Motorways
Efficiency:
By offering an alternate route for long-distance traffic, highways can assist in relieving congestion on other roadways. This function can aid in traffic flow and trip time reduction.
Economic Development:
By offering a speedier and more efficient mode of transportation for goods and people, highways can serve to boost economic growth. This feature can boost trade and commerce while also attracting companies and visitors to a location.
Environmental Advantages:
By lowering the amount of time cars spend idle in traffic, highways can help reduce air pollution. They can also assist in reducing the number of automobiles on the road, hence lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Meaning of Motorway
The term “motorway” incorporates the word “motor,” which refers to a vehicle’s engine. A motorway is a form of highway designed only for the use of motor vehicles such as automobiles, lorries, and buses. A highway’s goal is to offer a fast path for long-distance travel, notably for automobiles commuting between cities and villages.
That’s a wrap on our List of all Motorways in Pakistan Blog.
When you have any precise Travel-related questions, drop us a remark below!
If you like this Blog make sure to check out Top 10 Football Stadiums in the World
Top 10 Football Stadiums in the World
No Comment! Be the first one.