The construction of the Nagar Highway as an alternative route to the Karakoram Highway (KKH) at the Nagar and Hunza sections has begun.
The 40-kilometre-long road begins at KKH in Pissan on the Hunza River’s left bank, continues through Nagar, and ends in Hoper Nagar. At Ganish Hunza, the highway connects with the KKH. The project’s cost is estimated to be Rs 4 billion.
The highway received technical approval from Secretary of Works Najeeb Alam, and the bidding process for the project began last week. The project had long been a desire of the people of the Nagar district. The highway’s construction will also provide an alternative to the KKH, which currently passes through glacier-melting-affected areas of Hasanabad in Hunza.
During the summer, the KKH is closed for months due to glacier outburst flooding from Shisper Glacier in Hasanabad. Last year, glacier outburst flooding washed away a bridge on the KKH at Hasanabad, submerging a portion of the road.
The Nagar highway will also reduce the distance between the KKH and many tourist spots in Nagar. Project Director Mohammad Essa stated that the Nagar highway is a critical project that will enhance inter-regional connectivity.
The implementation of all PSDP projects has recently been transferred from the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan to the GB government. This procedure has aided in the acceleration of PSDP project implementation in the region.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid approved five major projects