ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has topped with 11 projects being carried out by the National Highway Authority (NHA) followed by Balochistan and Sindh with ten and nine projects respectively.
An official source told APP Sunday that in KP, work on Hassanabdal-Mansehra Expressway was in full swing which is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said completion of E-35 will bring about progress and prosperity in the area. The project, he said will reduce to travel time from Rawalpindi/Islamabad to Mansehra by an hour.
He said that Attaabad Barrier Lake (N-35) has been successfully completed. A 24-kilometre stretch of KKH, which was constructed by China at a cost of Rs 27.5 billion alongside the lake in Hunza Valley, includes five seven-kilometre-long Pak-China Friendship Tunnels, two big and 78 small bridges.
Similarly, work on Jhalkhad-Chilas (N-15), Thakot-Raikot (N-35, 147 km), Burhan- Havelian Expressway (E-35, 59 km), Nowshera-Chakdara-Dir (N-45) and Peshawar Northern Bypass is in full swing.
Moreover, he said work on Burhan-D.I.Khan (N-50, 240 km), Jaglot-Skardu (S-1, 164 km), Havelian-Thakot (N-35, 120 km) and Chakdara-Mangora-Fatehpur (N-95, 82 km) sections is expected to start in coming months.
The above mentioned schemes, on completion, will not only fulfill the primary objective of establishing an efficient transport and communication network but also enhance the national harmony through a qualitative change in the socio-economic condition of the people of the province.
He said that allocations for NHA’s KP in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) speak volumes about the priority being attached by the government to the province. He said that for construction of Islamabad-Mianwali-DI Khan Highway to be built as part of CPEC Rs 10,000 million have been allocated.
Rs 2,000 million have been allocated for rehabilitation of D.I.Khan-Mughalkot section of N-50. He said that Rs 10,000 have been allocated for land acquisition and construction of Western alignment and other C-PEP projects.
As far as northern alignment of the C-PEC,he said Rs 2,300 million have been allocated for Burhan-Havelian Expressway (E-35). For 120 km construction of Thakot-Havelian section of E-35 Rs 20,500 million have been allocated while for land acquisition of the project Rs 5,000 million have been earmarked.
He said for Nowshehra-Chitral Highway (Takht Bhai Flyover) Rs200 million have been allocated.For Lowari Tunnel Rs 2,000 million have been allocated and Rs 1000 million have been earmarked for Peshawar Northern Bypass.
Moreover, he said that the NHA has spent Rs3.477 billion approximately on maintenance of roads in Khyber Pakhunkhwa under Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) in past two yeaRs He said that in financial year 2013-14 Rs1.378 billion were spent in KP, while in fiscal year 2014-15 Rs2.099 billion were spent.
He said that for rehabilitation of NHA Highways Network damaged during Floods 2010 Rs 500 million have been allocated in the current fiscal year.
In the roads being rehabilitated under this project Madyan-Kalam section of Chakdara-Kalam Highway (N-95),Ramak-DI Khan-Kohat-Peshawar section of Indus Highway (N-55) and Naran-Jalkhad-Chilas section of Mansehra-Chilas Highway (N-15) fall in KP.
