The National Highway Authority plans to spend Rs 8550.425 million on improvement and widening of Nowshehra-Chitral Highway (N-45). “Improvement and widening of Chakdara-Timergrah-Dir-Chitral (141 km) section” is a new project which will complete left over sections of the project “improvement of N-45 for dualisation, rehabilitation and reconstruction, which was undertaken in 2006 at the cost of Rs 2399 million,” a source in the Ministry of Communications told APP on Thursday. Regarding the new project global PC-I worth Rs 9202.488 mln was discussed by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in October 2011, which was recommended with revised scope of work with rationalized cost of Rs 8550.425 million, he said.
The Takhtbai flyover project was also included in the PC-I of the project, he added. However, the commencement of work on the project, he said, depended on the approval by ECNEC and allocation of funds.
A durable and effective communications infrastructure is very important for the promotion of trade, tourism, industry and agriculture in Swat and Malakand areas and the Ministry of Communications is carrying out construction activity on priority basis in these areas where people have suffered great hardships, he added.
FOURTH SECTION OF N-50 TO BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has completed work on three sections of road from Khanozai to D I Khan via Muslim Bagh, Qila Saifullah and Zhob (N-50) while the fourth section will be completed by May next year.
The NHA has undertaken work on five sections of N-50, including Kuchlac-Khanozai-Muslim Bagh section, Muslim Bagh-Qila Saifullah section, Qila Saifullah – Zhob section, Zhob-Mughalkot section and Mughalkot-D.I. Khan section.
Work on three sections, including 73-kilometre Kuchlac Khanozai- Muslim Bagh section, 50-km Muslim Bagh-Qila Saifullah section for which financial assistance was given by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and 143-km Mughalkot-D I Khan section, which falls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was completed in 2009.
Work on 155-km Qila Saifullah – Zhob section is going on with the financial assistance of ADB. Uptill June 2012, it progress was over 55 per cent and its completion date is May 2013.
Meanwhile, 78-km Zhob-Mughalkot section of N-50 is at planning stage through ADB funding and work is likely to commence next year.
