Key points
- Route-47 features solar panels, pedestrian lanes, and flood-free design.
- The project cost Rs. 9 billion ($32 million), executed by CBD Punjab.
- Global smart road projects are advancing renewable energy in transportation.
ISLAMABAD: In a groundbreaking leap forward, Lahore—the capital of Punjab province home to more than half of Pakistan’s population—has unveiled the country’s first energy-generating smart road.
This has positioned Pakistan as the pioneering nation in Asia to introduce this cutting-edge technology. Stretching 296 kilometres across seven districts, the project marks a major step toward integrating renewable energy into infrastructure.
Pakistan’s innovative project—named as Route-47—is a 4.5-kilometer stretch that connects several major thoroughfares, including Ferozepur Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard, Walton Road, and Ring Road.
The road boasts cutting-edge features, including separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, and a one-kilometre-long flyover. Solar panels installed on the footpaths along Route-47 will generate up to one megawatt of electricity in addition to providing shade.
The road’s design ensures that it remains flood-free during rainfall, minimising disruptions to traffic.
According to available data, the project cost approximately Rs. 9 billion ($32 million). The Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (CBD Punjab) has executed the project.
China has been a pioneer in the development of electricity-producing smart roads, leading several innovative projects that combine renewable energy generation, vehicle charging, and advanced infrastructure.
Smart roads worldwide
The notable projects of smart roads include the Solar Expressway in Jinan in eastern China, which uses photovoltaic panels and a transparent surface, and the operational Zero-Carbon Jinan-Hefei Highway, integrating solar, wind, and geothermal energy.
China is also testing the Electrified Highway Demonstration in Zhuzhou—a city in Hunan province in south-central China—with wireless charging and clean energy sources, along with a Solar-Powered Highway in the Tarim Desert, located in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in northwestern China.
Similarly, Sweden has introduced Smartroad Gotland and Evolution Road with wireless inductive charging and conductive rails. while, its E20 Electrified Highway is under construction. Germany is advancing projects for wireless charging in Karlsruhe and a nationwide fast-charging network.
Across the Atlantic, the US is testing wireless inductive charging in Detroit, Michigan. In addition, France plans an inductive coil system along the A10 Autoroute by 2025, and Israel’s Electreon and the Netherlands’ SolaRoad focus on expanding wireless charging and solar panel roads.
Australia’s Western Australia EV Network is also under development to support electric vehicles with charging stations. Bundelkhand Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, India, is under development as the state’s first solar-powered expressway.
These global initiatives aim to integrate renewable energy into transportation, promoting sustainable mobility and reducing carbon emissions.
