Pakistan has approved a $2 bn project to upgrade a 241 km stretch of the KKH, part of CPEC, financed by Chinese loans.
Key points:
• Upgrade covers the Thakot-Raikot section
• Transforms the route into an all-weather highway
• Chinese contractors will manage construction.
SWAT - Each Eid season, the Swat Motorway, also known as M-16, serves as a vital transportation corridor, significantly improving accessibility for holidaymakers traveling to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's most popular destinations.
With the completion of its Phase II under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the number of tourists is expected to double. This modern expressway has become an indispensable route, facilitating the movement of tens of thousands of tourists to the region's breathtaking valleys and mountain resorts during the festive period.
According to Malakand Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nasir Mehmood Sati, more than 700,000 tourists visited Swat and the Malakand division during Eid this week. He said tourists from across the country visited the region, creating a festival-like atmosphere at major tourist attractions.
The federal government has approved a major upgrade of the GrandTrunk (G.T.) Road (N5), aiming to convert it into a uniform three-lane carriageway on the pattern of motorways.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) has been tasked with initiating work on the plan, which will be executed in two phases. Officials confirmed that the first phase is expected to be completed within the current fiscal year.
The G.T. Road, stretching from Karachi to Torkham, is Pakistan’s longest national highway and a key north-south trade route