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Reconstruction of the Karakoram Highway

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National Highway 35 shield}}
National Highway 35
قومی شاہراہ ٣٥
Karakoram Highway Reconstruction
Highlighted in red is the route of National Highway 35, which is to be completely rebuilt and upgraded under the CPEC agreement. Highlighted in blue is the 175 km (109 mi) road between Gilgit and Skardu which is to be upgraded to a four-lane highway.
Route information
Length887 km (551 mi)
Major junctions
North endChina–Pakistan border
South endBurhan, Punjab
Location
CountryPakistan
Highway system

As part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, reconstruction and upgrade works are underway on the 887-kilometre-long (551 mi) National Highway 35 (N-35), which forms the Pakistani portion of the Karakoram Highway.

Route description

The KKH spans the 887-kilometre-long (551 mi) distance between the China–Pakistan border and the town of Burhan, near Hasan Abdal. At Burhan, the existing M1 motorway will intersect the N-35 at the Shah Maqsood Interchange. From there, access onwards to Islamabad and Lahore continues as part of the existing M1 and M2 motorways. Burhan will also be at intersection of the Eastern Alignment, and Western Alignment.

E-35 Expressway between M1 Motorway and Havelian

Upgrades to the 487-kilometre-long (303 mi) section between Burhan and Raikot of the Karakoram Highway are officially referred to in Pakistan as the Karakoram Highway Phase 2 project. At the southern end of the N-35, works are already underway to construct a 59-kilometre-long (37 mi), six-lane controlled-access highway between Burhan and Havelian which upon completion will be officially referred to as the E-35 expressway, or Hazara Motorway.[1]

Havelian to Shinkiari

North of Havelian, the next 66 kilometres (41 mi) of road will be upgraded to a four-lane dual carriageway between Havelian and Shinkiari,[2] Groundbreaking on this portion commenced in April 2016.[3]

Shinkiari to Raikot

The entire 354 kilometres (220 mi) of roadway north of Shinkiari and ending in Raikot, near Chilas will be constructed as a two-lane highway.[4] Construction on the first section between Shinkiari and Thakot commenced in April 2016 jointly with construction of the Havelian to Shinkiari four-lane dual carriageway further south.[5] Construction on both these sections is expected to be completed with 42 months at a cost of approximately $1.26 billion with 90% of funding to come from China's EXIM bank in the form of low interest rate concessional loans.[5][6][7]

Between Thakot and Raikot spans an area in which the government of Pakistan is currently either planning or actively constructing several hydropower projects, most notably the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Dasu Dam. Sections of the N-35 around these projects will be completely rebuilt in tandem with dam construction[8] In the interim, this section of the N-35 is currently being upgraded from its current state until dam construction commences in full force at a later date. Improvement projects on this section are expected to be completed by January 2017 at a cost of approximately $72 million.[9][10]

Raikot to the Chinese border

The next 335 kilometres (208 mi) of roadway connect Raikot to the China-Pakistan border. Reconstruction works on this section of roadway preceded the CPEC, and were initiated after severe damage to roadways in the area following the 2010 Pakistan floods. Most of this section of roadway was completed in September 2012 at a cost of $510 million,[11] and was severely dilapidated even prior to the 2010 flooding.[12]

China-Pakistan Friendship Tunnels

Main article: Karakorum Highway Realignment (China-Pakistan Friendship Tunnels)

In addition to flooding, a large earthquake rocked the region nearest to the China-Pakistan border in 2010, triggering massive landslides which dammed the Indus River, and resulted in the formation of the Attabad Lake. Portions of the N-35 were submerged in the lake, forcing all vehicular traffic onto barges to traverse the new reservoir. Construction on a 24-kilometre (15 mi) series of bridges and tunnels to Attabad Lake began in 2012 and required 36 months for completion. The bypass consists of two large bridges, 78 culverts and five kilometres (3.1 mi) worth of tunnels that were inaugurated for public use on 14 September 2015 at a cost of $275 million.[13][14]

Gilgit to Skardu

The 175-kilometre (109 mi) road between Gilgit and Skardu will be upgraded to a four-lane road at a cost of $475 million to provide direct access to Skardu from the N-35.[15][16]

Cost and Financing

As part of CPEC, approximately $11 billion worth of infrastructure projects being developed by the Pakistani government will be financed by concessionary loans, with composite interest rates of 1.6%,[17] after Pakistan successfully lobbied the Chinese government to reduce interest rates from an initial 3%.[18] The concessional loans are subsidised by the government of China, and are to be dispersed by the Exim Bank of China and the China Development Bank. For comparison, loans for previous Pakistani infrastructure projects financed by the World Bank carried an interest rate between 5% and 8.5%,[19] while interest rates on market loans approach 12%.[20]

The China Development Bank will finance the $920 million towards the cost of reconstruction of the 487-kilometre (303 mi) portion of the Karakoram Highway between Burhan and Raikot.[21][22]

An addition $1.26 billion will be lent by the China Exim Bank for the construction of the Havelian to Thakot portion of this stretch of roadway,[5][6] to be dispersed as low-interest rate concessional loans.[23]

Construction works on the China-Pakistan Friendship Tunnels can be traced to 2013, when China began construction on a 24-kilometre (15 mi) bypass of Attabad Lake with a combination of 5 km worth of tunnels, two large bridges, and 78 small bridges to bypass the lake which had been formed after a 2010 earthquake triggered massive landslides. The resulting landslides cut off both the Indus River and Karakoram Highway resulting in the formation of the reservoir. Prior to completion of the bypass, all vehicular traffic had to be loaded onto barges to traverse the new reservoir. Construction of the tunnels began in 2012 and required 36 months for completion. The 24 km long series of bridges and tunnels was inaugurated on 15 September 2015 at a cost of $275 million and was hailed as a major accomplishment.[24][25]

References

  1. ^ Senate Secretariat (23 October 2014). "Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies" (PDF). Question 126: Senate of Pakistan. Retrieved 11 February 2016. From Havelian to Shah Maqsood Interchange, the proposed alignment of CPEC will overlap with alignment of E-35. This section will be 15 Km long and undertaken with ADB assistance as 6-Lane Motorway... Shah Maqsood Interchange – Islamabad section will be 50 km long and constructed along a new alignment as 6-Lane Motorway.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. ^ Senate Secretariat (23 October 2014). "Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies" (PDF). Question 126: Senate of Pakistan. Retrieved 11 February 2016. Shinkiari – Mansehra – Abbottabad section will be 50 Km long and constructed as 4- Lane Expressway... Abbottabad – Havelian section will be 11 km in length and constructed as 4-Lane Motorway with 6-Lane structures. | Portion between Abbottabad and Havelian is now to be a dual carriageway rather than motorway.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ Senate Secretariat (23 October 2014). "Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies" (PDF). Question 126: Senate of Pakistan. Retrieved 11 February 2016. Raikot – Thakot section will be 280 Km in length and constructed as 2-Lane highway along a new alignment... Thakot – Shinkiari section will be 74 km in length wherein existing 2-Lane KKH will be upgraded and improved.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ^ Senate Secretariat (23 October 2014). "Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies" (PDF). Question 126: Senate of Pakistan. Retrieved 11 February 2016. Raikot – Thakot section will be 280 Km in length and constructed as 2-Lane highway along a new alignment... Thakot – Shinkiari section will be 74 km in length wherein existing 2-Lane KKH will be upgraded and improved.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ^ a b c "PM Sharif performs ground-breaking of Havelian-Thakot Motorway". The News Pakstan. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b 133 billion Pakistan rupees equivalent to US$1.26 billion as of May 2016
  7. ^ "CPEC eastern alignment: Pakistan, China ink agreements worth $4.2b". Tribune. Pakistan. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ Senate Secretariat (23 October 2014). "Questions for Oral Answers and Their Replies" (PDF). Question 126: Senate of Pakistan. Retrieved 11 February 2016. Raikot – Thakot section (2-Lane) 255.8 km; Feasibility Study Completed by Chinese Side. However the Alignment falls under the Four Dams planned by WAPDA, namely; Bhasha, Dasu, Pattan and Thakot. The Road construction is planned to commensurate with Dam Construction activities. In the meanwhile the existing KKH is being improved in its present condition.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  9. ^ "NHA launches projects to improve KKH's condition". The News. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  10. ^ 7.5 billion PKR = 71.66 million USD as of 10 February 2016
  11. ^ "PM Launches KKH Projects Thanks China for Road Networks Upgradation Help". Pakistan Observer. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  12. ^ "China-aided highway changes life of Pakistanis". Xinhua News Agency. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  13. ^ "PM Nawaz inaugurates Pak-China Friendship Tunnels over Attabad Lake". Dawn. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  14. ^ "PM inaugurates tunnels over Attabad Lake in G-B". The Express Tribune. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  15. ^ "PM Announces Construction of Skardu-Gilgit Road". Samaa TV. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  16. ^ note: 50 billion Pakistani Rupees = US$475 million as of December 2015
  17. ^ Butt, Naveed (3 September 2015). "Economic Corridor: China to Extend Assistance at 1.6 Percent Interest Rate". Business Recorder. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  18. ^ Haider, Mehtab (23 September 2015). "China converts $230m loan for Gwadar airport into grant". Geo TV News. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  19. ^ https://finances.worldbank.org/Loan-and-Credit-Administration/IBRD-Statement-of-Loans-Latest-Available-Snapshot/sfv5-tf7p?
  20. ^ http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FR.INR.LEND
  21. ^ Rana, Shahbaz (16 April 2015). "Eastern corridor route: Pakistan, China to sign infrastructure financing deals". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  22. ^ Kiani, Khaleeq (13 August 2015). "Chinese firms to get contracts for two CPEC projects". Dawn News. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  23. ^ "CPEC eastern alignment: Pakistan, China ink agreements worth $4.2b". Tribune. Pakistan. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  24. ^ http://www.dawn.com/news/1206911
  25. ^ http://tribune.com.pk/story/956452/pm-inaugurates-tunnel-over-attabad-lake-in-g-b/
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