NHA to spend PR 1.5-bn for road rehab

Islamabad: National Highway Authority (NHA) will spend Rs 1.585 billion for the rehabilitation, improvement and widening of existing road of N-55 from Chashma Right Bank Canal crossing to Sarai Gambila. The project has been approved by the planning commission recently and will be completed in two years.

Sources said that the commencement of work would start in couple of month. Giving the details of the project the NHA sources said that it envisaged rehabilitation, improvement and widening of 70.271 km long sections out of 90.521km long potion of existing Indus-highway (N-55) from Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) Crossing to Sarai Gambila.

The official said that the remaining section of about 20 km was being taken up under another project for construction of Additional Carriageway (ACW) of N-55 alongside the project road. The official said that the Indus Highway was the lifeline of the southern district of NWFP. It physically passed through five districts and also runs very close to two other districts.

All the FATA Agencies starting from Balochistan up to Khyber Agency are served by this road, he added. The stretch between Malana Junction ( DI Khan) and Sarai Gambila is one of those rare portions of N-55 that awaits immediate improvement and rehabilitation, he said.

The official said that after completion of project, optimal utilisation of the existing capacity would be attained on the section. The project road also passes through Dera Ismail Khan, which is the second administrative Division of NWFP and situated in the cross roads of Punjab, Balochistan and NWFP.

This area has vast irrigated land and value added industry like canning, fruit preservation, cold stores, fertilisers etc Oil and gas has been struck in Kohat and Karak, he said.

These resources need to be brought on the national grid, he added. Lucky Cement at Pezu, Kohat Cement at Kohat and sugar mills at D.I.Khan and Sarai Naurang also generate sizeable heavy traffic, he said. All this spells activity and business which needs better roads for swift communication, he said. To provide better and efficient transportation facility to the commuters and for swift transportation of goods, the project has been prepared.

The official said that the scope of work envisaged rehabilitation, improvement and widening of 70.271 km of existing road sections of Indus Highway by using Italian technology called 'Pavital catalysed Mixture (PCM)' to strengthen the failed pavement.