NHA launches Rs 22 billion connectivity push linking northern corridors to CPEC network

ISLAMABAD, Dec 4 (Gwadar Pro)- The National Highway Authority (NHA) has approved an expansive Pakistani Rs22.44 billion road-development initiative aimed at improving northern connectivity and reinforcing Pakistan’s access to broader China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) trade corridors.

The projects, crucial for unlocking the economic potential of Gilgit-Baltistan and Upper Chitral, include the construction of two major routes: the 153-km Chitral–Booni–Mastuj–Shandur (CBMS) Road and the 46-km Chitral–Ayun–Bumburate (CAB) Road.

Officials say the upgraded links will eventually integrate with transport arteries feeding into CPEC, facilitating smoother movement of goods from the northern valleys toward regional markets, Gwadar Port, and cross-border nodes connected to China through the Karakoram Highway.

The CBMS Road, valued at Rs17.78 billion, has been divided into four sections stretching from Chitral to Shandur, passing through a network of remote yet economically significant villages such as Pret, Booni, Mastuj, Shaidas, Ghast, Raman, and Surlaspur. Construction work has already begun, with planners highlighting that the route will offer an alternative all-weather pathway when heavy snowfall blocks higher passes.

A senior Communications Ministry official noted that the completed route will deliver a “strategic linkage between national highways N-45 and N-35, strengthening the northern backbone that eventually connects to CPEC’s logistical chain.”

Similarly, the CAB Road, costing Rs4.65 billion, is expected to drastically improve access to Ayun Valley and the renowned Kalash Valleys, enhancing tourist mobility and encouraging investment in hospitality and transport.

NHA spokesperson Mazhar Hussain said the two roads will reduce travel time, lower transport costs for local traders, and create new economic openings for communities producing agricultural goods, gemstones, handicrafts, and specialty items that could be routed toward larger markets via CPEC.

The projects are expected to benefit more than 350,000 residents, offering safer, all-weather routes to hospitals, schools, markets, and government services. Improved mobility will also strengthen emergency response capabilities during winter months or natural disasters.

Economic planners see these new connections as long-term contributors to Pakistan’s north-south trade chain.

By easing cargo movement toward the Karakoram Highway, the roads help establish a seamless flow toward southern seaports, particularly Gwadar, which remains the ultimate maritime outlet for future north-south CPEC commerce.