ISLAMABAD: National Highway Authority (NHA) has upgraded the Karakoram Highway’s Khunjerab-Raikot section of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which forms an important part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).According to an official source, the 335-kilometre section of the KKH has been upgraded by China Road and Bridge Corporation at the cost of $ 510 million while its remaining sections are being built on priority.
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 added.
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 neighbouring China.
The remaining 459 km portion of the KKH from Raikot to Islamabad has been divided into three sub-sections i.e. Raikot-Thakot, Thakot-Havelian and Havelian-Islamabad. The source also reveals 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 percent 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 added.
