Construction activities on the Western Route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have already commenced. An official source told the media on Saturday that the total length of Western route is around 2500 km, out of which 790 km is common route from Khunjrab to Hakla while road length from Hakla to Gwadar is 1710 km.
The road from Hakla to D.I. Khan agreed in All Party Conference held on May 18 is altogether a new alignment comprising a 285 km, 4-lane Motorway. The project is divided in 5 sections for early completion. The construction activities on the project have commenced since September this year.
He said that the 235 km road section from D.I.Khan to Zhob will be dualized. Its design has been completed and PC-I is being forwarded to Planning Commission for soliciting approval. Out of this 2351km, widening of 81 km Mughal Kot to Zhob section has already started with Asian Development Bank's financial assistance. The existing road section from Zhob to Quetta is 231 km long and is in fairly good condition (2 lane carriageway). NHA has started land acquisition process for up-gradation of this section into 4 lane facility, he said.
He told that the design for dualization of 224 km road section from Quetta to Sorab is underway and would be finalized by April next year. The Sorab-Hoshab section of N-85 is 449 km out of which 447 km has been asphalted. The 193 km last section of Western route from Hoshab to Gwadar is already completed and inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sh3arif in February 2016, which has made western route functional.