Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 235 million dollars loan to upgrade the National Highway in Pakistan.

According to an ADB press statement, under this project, the 222 kilometer Shikarpur-Rajanpur section of National Highway (N55) will be expanded from two-lane into a four-lane carriageway.

The N55 is part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor-5, which links the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in southern Pakistan with national and international economic centers to the north.

The project also includes construction of bus stops, emergency response centers, and traffic police facilities to ensure road safety enforcement and efficient post-crash response.

The loan is the second tranche of a multi-tranche financing facility, designed to provide technical and financial assistance for upgradation of N55 and enhancing capacity of the NHA.

The first tranche of 180 million dollars was approved in September 2017 to finance the improvement of three sections in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Source: Radio Pakistan