The inaugural ceremony of the China-aided Eastbay Expressway of Gwadar port was conducted on Friday in the port city of Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province.
As an imperative early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the 19.49-km long expressway was started in 2017 by the China Communications Construction Company, in order to meet the urgent needs of the citizens in Gwadar and stimulate the sustainable development of the area.
Addressing the event, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to China for the grant and stated that China has constructed a very high-quality expressway that connects the port to the coastal highway ahead.
It will improve connectivity and assist in the transportation of goods from the port all the way to Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi in the future, PM added.
Read more: Energy scarcity of Gwadar to end by 2023 after completion of 300 MW coal power plant
“Pakistan is determined to speed up the development of Gwadar,” the premier said, adding that China has supported the construction of a hospital and other livelihood infrastructures, provided solar panels to many families in Gwadar, and will fund a desalination plant.
Meanwhile, Pang Chunxue, charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy to Pakistan, said at the ceremony that China is ready to continue promoting the progress of the port city’s healthcare, education, vocational and technical staffs training, and other livelihood fields.
Pang further said the construction of the expressway intends to help the native people, and the problems of local fishermen were fully considered in the design and construction.
China will continue to help address local people’s problems including shortage of electricity and fresh water, and promote the development of a smart, green, and modern Gwadar Port so that citizens can share the high-quality progress of the CPEC, Pang said.
“It is our joint efforts that ensured the successful delivery of this CPEC project in Gwadar.”
“When the New Gwadar International Airport is completed in the future, it will work with the Eastbay Expressway to promote Gwadar as a regional transportation hub and create a better life for the local people,” Pang remarked.
