ADB okays $235m for Shikarpur-Rajanpur road

Published August 21, 2021
The loan by the Asian Development Bank is the second tranche of a multi-tranche financing facility designed to provide technical and financial assistance to upgrade N55 and enhance the capacity of the National Highway Authority. — AFP/File
The loan by the Asian Development Bank is the second tranche of a multi-tranche financing facility designed to provide technical and financial assistance to upgrade N55 and enhance the capacity of the National Highway Authority. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $235 million loan to upgrade a national highway considered crucial to regional connectivity and strengthen the government’s capacity to improve operation and maintenance of the highway network.

The project will expand the 222km Shikarpur-Rajanpur section of the National Highway-55 (N55) from two lanes into a four-lane carriageway.

N55 is part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Corridor-5 which links the ports of Karachi and Gwadar with national and international economic centres to the north.

N55 is part of Corridor-5 linking the ports of Karachi and Gwadar

The loan is the second tranche of a multi-tranche financing facility designed to provide technical and financial assistance to upgrade N55 and enhance the capacity of the National Highway Authority (NHA). The first tranche of $180 million was approved in September 2017 and financed the improvement of three sections totaling 143 km in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

“This project will increase the capacity of a busy highway section that passes through populous economic centres in Sindh and Punjab provinces,” said ADB Transport Specialist Rika Idei. “The project addresses key road safety, climate resilience, and gender-specific needs to ensure users can travel safely, smoothly, and comfortably. This will facilitate the regional movement of goods and people, and support Pakistan’s economic recovery from Covid-19.”

The project will construct bus stops, emergency response centers, and traffic police facilities to ensure road safety enforcement and efficient post-crash response. Bus stops and emergency response centres will have gender-separated facilities and rest spaces for various users, including the elderly, women, children, and persons with disabilities.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2021

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...
Counterterrorism plan
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Counterterrorism plan

Lacunae in our counterterrorism efforts need to be plugged quickly.
Bullish stock market
23 Nov, 2024

Bullish stock market

NORMALLY, stock markets rise gradually. In recent months, however, Pakistan’s stock market has soared to one ...
Political misstep
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Political misstep

To drag a critical ally like Saudi Arabia into unfounded conspiracies is detrimental to Pakistan’s foreign policy.