The Eastbay Expressway, when it is opened for traffic, will connect Gwadar Port with Pakistan’s national highways and expand transportation between Gwadar and other places in the country and even other regional states, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a regular press conference on Monday.
“The artery will further harness Gwadar Port’s role as an international logistics hub and boost socio-economic development in the Gwadar Port region,” he said.
Zhao shared that when he was posted in Pakistan, he visited the Gwadar Port seven times and attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Eastbay Expressway.
“I’m happy about the project’s completion,” he said. “China will continue to work with Pakistan in the development and operation of CPEC projects including the Gwadar Port, and inject strong impetus into Pakistan’s economic development, improvement of people’s livelihood and regional economic integration, for the betterment of the local people and beyond.”
The Eastbay Expressway is a $153 million early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and a key transportation infrastructure project promoting regional connectivity.
It starts from China-Pak Friendship Avenue at Gwadar Port and converges at the existing Makran Coastal N-10 Highway. The expressway has a total length of 19.49 km, with a six-lane embankment and a four-lane-pavement in each way and a design speed limit of 100km per hour.
On June 3, it was inaugurated by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Gwadar.
