The National Logistics Cell (NLC) has started work on a major road project in northern Pakistan that will connect the ancient valleys of the region and serve as an alternative to the strategic Karakoram Highway.
The CPEC standard road will prove to be a game changer for the growing tourism industry of Pakistan, which will significantly improve the living standards of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
NLC will construct the 76-km stretch of Gilgit-Shandor Road in a challenging environment which includes inaccessibility of the area, altitude, adverse weather conditions and steep hill formations.
NLC has already mobilized machinery and equipment besides setting up the camp with necessary facilities of modern engineering. Work has begun on the Shandor end of the project, which aims to facilitate tourists visiting the area during the annual festival.
What makes the project a difficult engineering task is the short-term window to start construction. The risk of rock formation and landslides is high during construction work as well as during heavy snowfall and rain. Located at an altitude of 12,500 feet above sea level, this season is open only for four months in a year.
This road has been upgraded from provincial to national highway which will bring these remote valleys at par with other developed areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. Travel time between Gilgit and Shandor Valley will be reduced from 7 hours to just 4 hours.
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