NHA executive board meets

Islamabad :The Executive Board of the National Highway Authority (NHA) approved PC-1 for widening and improvement of Chitral-Shandur road with an estimated project cost of Rs19 billion during a meeting held at NHA head office on Thursday with Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar in the chair, says a press release.

The meeting was told that 153 km long project will consist of 02 lanes with 100 m right of way and would be completed in four sections;

Section 1: Chitral-Pret (39 km), Section II: Pret-Booni (40 km), Section III: Booni-Shaidas (38 km) and Section IV: Shaidas-Shandur (35 km)

The project road starts from Chitral and runs towards north parallel to Mastuj / Kunhar River till Booni. It crosses the towns of Mori Payeen, Maroi, Pret, Barenis, Green Lasht, Reshun, Cherun, Jonali Cooch and reaches Booni. From Booni, the alignment turns towards East and reaches Mastuj after crossing Parwak. From Mastuj it turns towards south and then runs parallel to Laspur River to meet Shandur passing through Onshit, Shaidas, Ghast, Raman, Harchin, Brook, Balim and Surlaspur.

The existing road surface is not in a good condition and with not enough width causing frequent accidents on the road. Moreover, the recent floods and 2005 earth also adversely affected it in various reaches.

The improvement of the project road which is a vital link between two major national highways N-45 and N-35 which will boost the economy of the country specially in perspective of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).