The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide project preparation support for schemes aimed at upgrading roads in a bid to improve regional connectivity among Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For this purpose preliminary technical reviews are currently being carried out.
This projects is being undertaken to improve inter province connectivity as well as help improve the condition of roads in Pakistan. Only 11 per cent of national highways are assessed to be in ‘good’ and 67 per cent in ‘fair’ condition. ADB has already added the road up gradation projects in its Country Operations Business Plan (2020-22) for Pakistan. The federal government has also cleared the concept papers for the projects.
According to details, the transaction technical assistance facility will provide project preparation support to a series of ensuing projects comprising Punjab provincial highway project; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rural development project; and the second phase of Sindh provincial road improvement project.
The technical assistance facility is estimated to cost $1.6m, of which $1.5m will be financed on a grant basis by ADB’s technical assistance special fund.
