Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to complete the expansion of the Pindi Bhattian–Faisalabad section of the M-4 Motorway from four to six lanes by December 15, 2026. The M4 motorway six-lane deadline sets a firm timeline for one of the busiest stretches of highway connecting central and eastern Punjab.
The directive came during a review meeting where the minister assessed the pace of ongoing work on the corridor, which has seen growing traffic volumes as industrial and agricultural trade between Faisalabad and the rest of Punjab has increased in recent years. NHA officials have been instructed to accelerate construction activity to meet the year-end target.
Other Infrastructure Projects Reviewed Alongside M-4
The M-4 expansion was not the only project discussed during the review. Minister Aleem Khan also examined progress on the Lodhran–Multan Expressway, the Lala Musa Bypass on the N-5 National Highway, the Baba Farid Bridge over the River Sutlej, bridge links connecting Layyah and Taunsa, and the Phool Nagar Interchange on the N-5.
This broader review suggests the government is pushing to accelerate several stalled or slow-moving road projects simultaneously rather than focusing resources on a single corridor, reflecting pressure to show visible infrastructure progress across multiple regions of Punjab before the year is out.
Setting a Quality Benchmark
Notably, the minister cited the Islamabad–Murree Expressway as a model of quality standards that other ongoing projects, including the M-4 expansion, should aim to match — pointing specifically to its modern lighting systems and well-equipped rest areas as features that improve the driving experience on a modern motorway.
By setting a hard deadline and referencing a completed project as a benchmark, the ministry appears to be signaling that speed and quality will both be measured when evaluating the M-4 six-lane expansion’s progress in the coming months. For commuters and freight operators using the corridor daily, the promised completion date offers a concrete point to watch, following recent scrutiny of delayed timelines on other infrastructure projects like the Park Road underpass in Islamabad, which only opened after running months behind its original schedule.