Pakistani Roads, Motorways and Highways
- Thread starter ghazi52
- Start date
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #213
China agrees to fund KKH realignment
Beijing has long been recommending Pakistan to consider settlement of existing debt
Shahbaz Rana
September 27, 2025
The committee was briefed on Karakoram Highway Thakot-Raikot section realignment project but no major progress was made. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Friday that China will provide 85% financing for the realignment of the Karakoram Highway and has also supported Islamabad's plan to seek financing from multilateral lenders for a strategically important rail link after Beijing declined to extend concessional loans.
Beijing has long been recommending Pakistan to consider settlement of existing debt and finding ways to fund new projects without accumulation of more public debt.
But despite its concerns about Pakistan's debt situation, China agreed to fund 85% of the Karakoram Highway project as a special case to keep the road link between China and Pakistan open under extreme weather conditions.
Both sides also agreed that roughly $7 billion Main Line-I project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor should now be financed by multilateral banks after Beijing did not extend a concessional $6 billion loan.
The discussions on the past and the future of CPEC took place during the 14th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting that was held in Beijing. Zhou Haibing, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning, co-chaired the meeting.
We have agreed to start bidding on the Karakoram Highway in phases and the Chinese side confirmed 85% financing for the project, said Iqbal after the meeting while talking to The Express Tribune.
The highway needs realignment after parts of it submerged in water due to the construction of major dams. The government has approved the 241-kilometer long Thakot-Raikot section of the project at a cost of Rs576 billion or $2 billion.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #214
The sources said that in the first phase the implementation of the 82-kilometer realignment project of the submerged section due to the Diamer-Basha dam will be taken up and work on the formulation of an innovative financing plan would also continue.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #216
IDB approves $475m for M-6 Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway
Amin Ahmed
October 1, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has approved $475 million in financing for the M-6 Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway project, aiming to enhance Pakistan’s transport infrastructure by improving connectivity along a key corridor.
The Board of Executive Directors at the IsDB headquarters in Jeddah granted approval on Monday. The 306km M-6 motorway is the only missing segment in the north-south route linking Karachi to Peshawar.
The project is estimated to cost $1.7bn and will feature six lanes designed for speeds up to 120km/h. It will include 89 bridges, 15 interchanges, and 243 underpasses. The M-6 is part of the broader Eastern Alignment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Physical construction is expected to begin in April next year, with the Sindh government already initiating land acquisition processes. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed officials to complete the transfer of both state and private land required for the construction of the motorway. Previous delays were attributed to litigation issues.
In parallel, the M-10 motorway (Karachi Northern Bypass) is being upgraded and extended to link Karachi directly with the M-6 at Jamshoro. This project aims to establish a high-capacity route for both commercial and passenger traffic from Karachi Port.
The M-6 motorway project has faced several delays and financing challenges. The Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development was recently informed that the estimated cost has increased from $617m in 2018 to $1.1bn in 2022, and now stands at $1.7bn in 2025.
The government has prioritised the M-6 for the fiscal year 2025-26. It is in talks with multiple financial institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, and the Asian Development Bank, to secure additional funding.
hydrabadi_arab
SpeedLimited
RAWALPINDI:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has approved a project to construct two twin tunnels through the Margalla Hills, directly connecting Khanpur and Haripur in Hazara with Islamabad.
Once completed, the project will reduce the distance between Haripur and Islamabad to just 8 kilometres, bringing travel time down to 10 to 15 minutes.
The tunnels, illuminated and built to international standards, are expected to be completed within three years, with construction starting in December 2025 and concluding by December 25, 2028. The project has been formally included in K-P's Annual Development Programme 2025. The tunnels will link the M-15 Motorway to Islamabad's D-12 sector, providing direct access to the Hazara Motorway. The K-P government has approved the scheme under a public-private partnership, with Rs1 billion allocated for the first year. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will also extend cooperation.
A feasibility study has already been completed.
According to Hazara Development Authority sources, the project has faced delays for nearly two decades due to lack of funds and frequent changes in government.
However, officials maintain that even if the federal govt does not participate, they are determined to complete it. Encouraging progress has also been made in talks with the government.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has approved a project to construct two twin tunnels through the Margalla Hills, directly connecting Khanpur and Haripur in Hazara with Islamabad.
Once completed, the project will reduce the distance between Haripur and Islamabad to just 8 kilometres, bringing travel time down to 10 to 15 minutes.
The tunnels, illuminated and built to international standards, are expected to be completed within three years, with construction starting in December 2025 and concluding by December 25, 2028. The project has been formally included in K-P's Annual Development Programme 2025. The tunnels will link the M-15 Motorway to Islamabad's D-12 sector, providing direct access to the Hazara Motorway. The K-P government has approved the scheme under a public-private partnership, with Rs1 billion allocated for the first year. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will also extend cooperation.
A feasibility study has already been completed.
According to Hazara Development Authority sources, the project has faced delays for nearly two decades due to lack of funds and frequent changes in government.
However, officials maintain that even if the federal govt does not participate, they are determined to complete it. Encouraging progress has also been made in talks with the government.
Asfandyar Bhittani
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
What are these people smoking? Even a direct line from Islamabad to Haripur is like 30 km.
So basically a glorified taxila/Punjab bypass between khanpur and Islamabad.
Don't get me wrong, taxila is shit to drive through during traffic and these tunnels should have been built atleast in the 2000s, but I hate when these people over promise. Especially since m15/Haripur city - khanpur road (n125) isn't included in the upgrade.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #220
Pakistan awards Rs 282 billion highway project to boost China, Afghanistan trade
By Tahir Ali | Gwadar Pro
Oct 10, 2025
ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan's National Highway Authority (NHA) has awarded contracts worth over 282 billion rupees to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to upgrade a strategic highway vital for trade with western China and Afghanistan.
The project will dualise and rehabilitate key sections of the 790-km National Highway 25 (N-25), an artery connecting the southern port of Karachi with the Chaman border crossing. All sections are scheduled for completion within two years, according to official documents.
While not a direct part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the N-25 upgrade is considered essential for strengthening CPEC's western route and facilitating future trans-Afghan trade.
The contracts, awarded on Oct. 9, cover several segments. These include the 278-km Karachi-Khuzdar section and the 187-km stretch between Kararo and Chaman.
Strategically, the N-25 connects Pakistan’s deep-sea ports with its northern land routes. The city of Khuzdar serves as a critical junction linking the N-25 with the M-8 motorway, which extends westward to Gwadar Port, the centerpiece of the multi-billion dollar CPEC initiative.
The upgrades are expected to create an integrated transport network across Balochistan province, linking both Karachi and Gwadar ports. The northern Kuchlak-Chaman section is a primary trade gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, a role expected to grow as Pakistan and China discuss extending CPEC into Afghanistan.
The project aligns with a new five-year "Action Plan" announced after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent visit to Beijing. The plan calls for transforming Gwadar Port into a regional connectivity hub and leveraging it for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #222
M-6 motorway progress marks key milestone in CPEC connectivity drive
By Shafqat Ali | Gwadar ProNov 7, 2025
The long-anticipated Hyderabad–Sukkur Motorway (M-6)—, a critical artery of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is advancing through diversified financing arrangements, ensuring sustained progress toward Pakistan’s connectivity and trade facilitation goals.
Addressing the National Assembly on Friday afternoon, Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Gul Asghar Khan announced that several sections of the 306-kilometer motorway would be completed between 2028 and 2029, following successful financing agreements with international development partners.
He revealed that after the initial Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract was terminated due to delayed financial closure, the government restructured the project under a hybrid financing model. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has already approved funding for two major sections—Naushehro Feroz–Ranipur and Ranipur–Sukkur—while discussions with the OPEC Fund and Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) are nearing finalization for additional segments.
The project’s progress was reviewed at the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Communications and the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting held in Beijing, reaffirming its importance under the CPEC transport and logistics framework.
Users who are viewing this thread
Pakistan Defence Latest
Country Watch Latest
-
-
-
-
-
Boeing Is Hiring 20 Times More Engineers From India As US Aims To Cut Dependence On China: Media (2 Viewers)- Latest: atmi_bum
