ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Javaid Iqbal Awan said on Monday that NHA is striving to complete the on-going projects as per schedule with quality construction so that socio-economic activities could be promoted.
While talking to participants of 12th Senior Management Course who visited NHA head office the NHA chairman said that during the current financial year, NHA has spent Rs. 229 billion on 79 schemes. NHA's Member (Admn) Naseer Ahmed Rana and Member (Planning) Raja Nowsherwan were also present at the occasion.
Raja Nowsherwan gave a detailed presentation on functioning, executive and financial affairs of the authority.
In his briefing, he threw light on Pakistan's geostrategic significance.
He said NHA is establishing such a network as to improve the trade, accelerate industrialization and develop Pakistan as hub of regional connectivity. He said, total length of NHA's network is 12131 Km which is only 4.6 percent of the total roads of the country, which caters to 80 percent of commercial traffic in Pakistan.
Raja Nowsherwan further said, under National Trade Corridor Improvement Programme, NHA is building highways, motorways and expressways linking China, India, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia states. NHA will invest more than Rs. 300 billion over the next 5 to 7 years for this programme.
Under NTC programme, Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M-1), Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2) and Pindi Bhattian -Faisalabad Motorway (M-3) are already operational. Work on 51 Km Torkham- Peshawar expressway, 34 Km Peshawar Northern Bypass, 231 Km Sukkur- Shikarpur-Ratodero-Dadu expressway, 193 Km Gwadar-Hoshab Motorway, 454 Km Hoshab-Basima-Sorab Highway, and 242 Km Khuzdar-Ratodero Motorway is in progress,he added.
Likewise Raikot-Khunjrab section of Karakoram Highway is being upgraded on modern lines. Continuing Raja Nowsherwan said, presently 84x toll plazas are operational on NHA network.
The NHA is also undertaking pragmatic measures to control overloading on its roads so that this national asset could be saved from bad effects of overloading. State-of-the-Art and advance technologies are being employed during construction of roads and bridges, he added.
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