Islamabad: China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Lt-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa (retd) on Sunday (May 23) revealed via his official twitter account that significant work has been started on development of 103-kilometer long Nokundi-Mashkel Road project in Balochistan to improve connectivity with Iran, a news source reported.
The CPEC chairman also shared details on other road projects currently under construction to enhance road connectivity between the two countries via Balochistan. He further mentioned that a detailed design of the 200 kilometer Mashkel-Panjgur Road was in process.
By connecting National Highway (N)-40 with N-85 and Ratodero Motorway (M-8), which is commonly known as the Western Route of CPEC, the isolated regions of Balochistan will be made more accessible. The new road links will connect the Chagai-Nokundi sector with Gwadar, he added.
Because of the infrastructural developments taking under the CPEC, Gwadar is becoming the centre of all economic activities. Bajwa believes that it is crucial to develop road projects in South Balochistan in order to improve Gwadar’s connectivity with the rest of the country.
According to another official of CPEC authority, whose name wasn’t disclosed in the news report, construction of Hoshab Awaran Road has begun while development work on Baisma-Khuzdar Road has been completed by 60%. The 146-kilometer long Hoshab-Awaran Road, which will connect Gwadar Port with Sindh, is expected to be completed in three years at an estimated cost of PKR 20 billion. While the development of the106-kilomete long Basima-Khuzdar Road will be completed by the end of the ongoing year at an estimated cost of PKR 11.749 billion.
The official also shared details on the projects already completed and made operational under the CPEC initiative. These include Quetta-Hoshab Road (N-85) and Surab-Quetta Road (N-25), Ratodero-Khuzdar Road (M-8) and Gwadar-Hoshab Road.
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