NHA to connect Gwadar with Khunjerab under CPEC project

[Salman]

National Highway Authority (NHA) would connect Khunjerab with Gwadar Port, under the umbrella of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the project would be completed as short-term and long-term solution, in various phases.

An official of NHA informed on Thursday that in short-term the connection between Khunjerab and Gwadar shall be established using Khunjerab-Raikot-Thakot-Mansehra-Abbotabad-Havelian-Haripur-Islamabad (Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway)- Islamabad-Lahore Motorway (M-2)-Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad Motorway (M-3)-Faisalabad -Multan Motorway,(Sukkur)-Shikarpur (N-65) and Ratoderao-Gwadar Motorway. The total length of this link is estimated as 2,740 Km.

To a question, he said 335km Khunjerab-Raikot section had already improved under Chinese loan while Atabad Slide section was under construction and would be completed early next year. About 235km Raikot-Thakot section, he said feasibility study had been completed by Chinese side. However, the alignment falls under the four dams planned by Wapda, namely; Bhasha, Dasu, Pattan and Thakot. The Road construction is planned to commensurate with dam construction activities. In the meanwhile the existing KKH is being improved in its present condition.

He said feasibility study of 82km Thakot-Mansehra section had been completed and the project and its implementation would start soon. About Mansehra-Abbotabad section and Abbotabad-Havelian section, he said feasibility study had been completed and the projects were included in Early Harvest Project List, to be implemented under Phase-I. He said construction tender of 34km Havelian-Haripur-Sirya was under award stage, and it would be financed by Asian Development Bank.

Feasibility study of Sirya-Islamabad Motorway (M-1) has been completed and the project is included in Early Harvest Project List. He said 306km Motorway link from Islamabad up to Faisalabad was completed and 241km Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M4) was under construction under Islamic Development Bank financing and ADB Financing. As far as 392 Multan-Sukkur (Motorway M-5); this section of Motorway would form part of Karachi -Lahore Motorway and also provides a link to Khunjerab-Gwadar Route.

He said the design of first 100km was completed having six-lane with Design Speed of 120KPH. Feasibility study of remaining section has been completed. It is included in list of Early Harvest Projects under Chinese loan arrangements, he added. He said Sukkur-Shikarpur section (N-65) had been completed under ADB loan arrangements, while 243km Ratodero-Khuzdar (M-8) was under construction under Government of Pakistan financing arrangements.

He said Hoshab-Gwadar (M-8) Section of M-8 had been substantially completed and its balance works were taken up recently. He said under the long-term project to provide short link to Gwadar with China border alignment route would be from Islamabad-Fatehjang-Darya Khan-D G Khan - Dera Allah Yar -Khuzdar-Nag - Hoshab - Turbat - Gwadar and its total length is 1950km. It is planned to be executed in 10-15 years period.