ISLAMABAD, July 24: Effective steps have been taken to improve the condition of Nowshera-Chitral Highway (N-45) and it is expected that improvement and widening project of N-45 would be completed by March, 2015.
An official of the National Highway Authority (NHA) informed APP on Wednesday that some sections of N-45 was in dilapidated condition. He said that the NHA has recently completed road construction on Timergrah-Akhgram section.
To a question he said that the scheme of improvement and widening of N-45 was approved by ECNEC in 2007 at an estimated cost of Rs. 2399.27 Million;and its revised PC-I cost was Rs.3405 Million.
He said that the PSDP allocation (2013-14) for N-45 improvement project was Rs. 100.8 Million which has been already spent. All other works under said PC-I except Takht Bai Flyover have been completed, he said and added that in view of social issue raised at the site due to protests of the locals against original design the NHA has revised the existing design of the Takht Bai flyover.
As per original design the length of the bridge was to be 200 metres while now it has been revised to 425 metres.Original cost of the project was 582.12 million but after its revised design it would cost Rs 754.60 million meaning 29.6 pc escalation in the cost.
About N-45 he said four maintenance contracts had been awarded between Chakdara- Timergarah (Km 88 – Km 98) amounting to Rs. 75 million. He said that under Annual Maintenance Plan following reaches have been approved and procurement was underway.
These reaches include Chakdara-Timergarah (Km 100-130 Km) Rs. 96.89 million,Timergarah-Naaree (KM 131-158 Km) Rs.145.33 million,Panakot- Drosh Km 203-255 Rs.112.24 million.—APP