GILGIT, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday inaugurated the recently completed 24 kilometers long Attabad Karakorum Highway realignment project costing $275 million.
Under the project, five tunnels having accumulative length of over 7 kilometers, 16 kilometers road and 2 bridges of one kilometer long have been constructed.
The Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir, Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir, Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, and the Chinese Ambassador to Pakista Sun Whidang were also present on the occasion.
The seven-kilometer long five tunnels are part of 24 kilometers long portion of Karakorum Highway that has been rebuilt to restore the part of road submerged under the Attabad Lake.
The big portion of the Karakoram Highway was damaged in January 2010 due to a massive land sliding at Attabad in Hunza.
Meanwhile, the officials of National Highway Authority (NHA) briefed the prime minister about the Attabad Tunnel project which has been completed in a span of three years and two months.
The prime minister was also briefed about other ongoing projects in the area by the Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman.
The Attabad Tunnel project has been completed with collaboration with China Road and Bridge Corporation, and it will help enhancing volume of trade between China and Pakistan and also address problems confronting by the business community.
Earlier, the prime minister was received by the Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistsn at the Gilgit airport.
