New Mansehra–Chilas motorway announced at NHA meeting

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan announced a new Mansehra–Naran–Jhalakand–Chilas (MNJC) Motorway during a recent meeting of the National Highway Authority (NHA). The motorway will connect Mansehra, Kaghan, Naran, Jhalakand, and Chilas.

During the meeting, the federal minister stated that the project will be completed in two phases. The first phase will involve the construction of the motorway from Mansehra to Kaghan, Naran, and Babusar Top. In the second and final phase, the motorway will be extended from Babusar Top to Chilas.

The minister said the motorway would serve as a safer and more efficient alternative to the Karakoram Highway, reducing the travel distance between the MNJC Motorway and the Karakoram Highway by 120 kilometres.

According to Aleem Khan, the project holds significant economic importance, as it will connect western China with the ports of Karachi and Gwadar. He added that the motorway will provide the fastest, shortest, and most convenient route from western China to the Arabian Sea and could prove to be a game changer for the sustainable development of Gwadar Port.

The federal minister also informed the meeting that the project would include a 13.5-kilometre-long Babusar Tunnel, which is expected to be the longest tunnel in Pakistan.

The total length of the MNJC Motorway will be 172 kilometers, with provisions for future expansion from four lanes to six lanes.

The NHA also plans to establish rest areas every 25 to 30 kilometers along the motorway, while trucking terminals will be constructed on both sides of the route to facilitate the transportation of goods.

Chairman NHA also briefed the Federal Minister of Communication on important issues relating to NHA.