ISLAMABAD: National Highway Authority has been working actively to build new highways to improve east-west connectivity in the in country and provide modern road links with Balochistan with special focus on Gwadar port.
An official of the NHA told APP on Monday that for 210 kilometre Yarik-Zhob road forming part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is at the planning stage. He said that 81 kilometre Zhob-Mughalkot section would likely to be completed by August next year.
Moreover he said that 128 km Qilla Saifullah- Waigum Rud would also be completed by August next year while Rakhi-Gaj- Bewata would be opened for traffic in July 2019.
The official said that detailed design of 331 km Zhob-Quetta section of N-50 an important project, was almost completed.He said that 151 km Khuzdar-Shahdadkot section of M-8 was almost completed and would be opened for traffic in coming few weeks.
He said that 331 km Zhob-Quetta road,211 km Quetta-Sorab Highway), 449 km Sorab-Hoshab Highway and 149 km Hoshab-Gwadar were already completed successfully. He said that the NHA has also completed some much delayed projects in Balochistan proving connectivity to Gwadar Port while the fourth is near completion. He said that Rs 18.6 billion have been spent on the completion of 449 kilometers long Basima-Nag-Panjgoor-Hoshab Highway (N-85).Similarly, balance work of 193 km Gwadar-Hoshab section of Rattodero-Gwadar Motorway (M-8) has been completed at the cost of Rs 13 billion.
Similarly,290 km Naukundi-Panjgur road would cost around Rs. 20 billion. Pre-feasibility study of the project iscompleted while detailed design is in progress. It will connect national highway N-40 with CPEC route N-85 and shorten the route by 772 km thus saving almost 10 hours travel time.