US Consul General Robert Reed joined President Asif Ali Zardari in a ceremony to launch the reconstruction of the Peshawar-Torkham Highway. The United States is providing up to $70 million to reconstruct the 46km road over the next two years. The Fata Secretariat will manage the project, with oversight from the National Highway Authority.
"We feel that this is the most significant donor contribution project in the region and it is an important boost and linkage to other projects in the Fata," said Dr Tashfeen Khan, Additional Chief Secretary of the Fata Secretariat. The Peshawar-Torkham Highway remains the shortest route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. However, it is outdated and has sustained substantial wear and tear over the years. The new design will widen the roadbed, straighten sharp turns, reduce steep gradients, and rebuild bridges and culverts to make it an all-weather road.
"The Peshawar-Torkham Highway is a gateway to increase trade and economic development in the region," said Consul General Reed. "Emperor Sher Shah of Sur recognised its economic potential when he built the road nearly 500 years ago. To connect communities and facilitate trade, the United States is helping to build more than 1,000km of roads in Fata, KP, and Balochistan."
Since 2009, the United States has helped build over 650km of roads in Fata and KP, including the recently inaugurated Tank-Makin and Kaur-Wana roads in South Waziristan. The Peshawar-Torkham Highway and other US-funded road projects will add over 400 km of additional roads in the coming years.-PR