NHA striving for early completion of KKH upgradation projects

Lahore : National Highway Authority has been striving for early completion of the projects, being executed to provide connectivity to Gawadar Port, besides upgradation of Karakoram Highway at a fast pace.

The NHA has upgraded the Karakoram Highway’s Khunjerab-Raikot section of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which forms part of China- Pakistan Economic Corridor. The 335-kilometre section of the KKH has been upgraded by China Road and Bridge Corporation at the  cost of $ 510 million, an official of NHA told Wednesday.

He said that the remaining portion (459 kms) of the KKH from Raikot to Islamabad has been divided into three sub-sections i.e. Raikot-Thakot, Thakot-Havelian and Havelian-Islamabad. He said that the Thakot-Havalian section of KKH is already under construction. The ground-breaking of the 120-kilometre section was done in April and it is expected to be completed in 42 months at a cost of Rs 133.98 billion. China Exim bank will fund 90 per cent of the project, while the remainder will be funded by Pakistan.

Similarly, 59-km Burhan-Havelian section, also called Hazara Motorway, is being built and will be completed by the end of 2017, at cost of Rs. 34 billion, he said.

The upgradation of the KKH will not only promote tourism in the picturesque Gilgit-Baltistan but it will also generate economic activities for the local people, he said.

The construction of road network at a fast pace reflects the policy of the government, not only to improve north-south connectivity but also provide all-weather linkage to neighboring China.