In a high-level review meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan to assess the repair and expansion of the countrywide GT Road (N-5), it was decided that the project will be executed in two phases and the GT Road will be upgraded to a uniform, three-lane carriageway, modelled on the standards of the motorways.
According to a press statement released on Saturday, the communications minister explained that the objective of this mega project is to ensure a consistent and high-quality road infrastructure across the entire length of the GT Road.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Communications, Planning Department, and Economic Affairs Division, along with the Chairman of the National Highway Authority (NHA) and other key stakeholders, presented effective recommendations for the restoration and extension of the N-5, reads the statement.
Speaking in the meeting, Khan emphasised the significance of timely expansion and rehabilitation of the GT Road to maintain its optimal condition. He stressed that the available funds must be utilised judiciously and effectively.
The federal minister directed all concerned departments to work on all feasible proposals for the improvement of this historic and vital national highway. He mentioned that financially unviable projects in the past had caused losses to the national exchequer, whereas the current focus on motorways will prove economically beneficial in the long run. Khan stated that the rehabilitation and expansion of the N-5 is a top priority and a well-coordinated two-phase strategy has been evolved for its execution.
He also announced that he would personally inspect the project sites along the N-5 and instructed the NHA chairman and senior officers of the department to conduct field visits at various stages to ensure on-ground progress.
During the meeting, senior officials shared proposals based on the currently available funds for the restoration of the GT Road. Khan reiterated the need to rehabilitate this key national artery on a district-to-district basis in order to minimise travel difficulties for the general public. It was further assured that the first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion work on the N-5 would be completed by the end of the current fiscal year, as per the statement.
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