Ambulances allowed on Hazara Motorway

Remaining work of the Mansehra Thakot section under progress

ABBOTTABAD: Ambulances and other emergency vehicles may travel on the Hazara-Thakot section of the under construction Hazara Motorway, said Hazara Division Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam on Thursday.

He was chairing a meeting to review the progress of the Hazara Expressway.

The remaining work of the Mansehra Thakot section is under progress particularly the installation of safety devices in the tunnels.

The meeting was informed that the 118 kilometres long China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Havelian-Thakot section consists of 39 kilometres of expressway and 79 kilometres of class II highway from Mansehra to Thakot.

Owing to the opening of expressway before the due date, 18 road accidents have occurred as installation of safety devices in the tunnels was not completed while 11 accidents took place in under construction Masswal and Battal tunnels.

CPEC project officials told the meeting that the completion date of the project was February 2020 but as we have increased the installation safety equipment numbers in the tunnels and roads which will take extra time.

Moreover, the Chinese engineers and other workers who were on holidays to celebrate their new year in their homeland, could not manage to report back due to suspension of flights in the backdrop of Covidi-9 lockdown.  

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2020.