Afghanistan-Pakistan road link to be improved

An upgrade to the road link connecting Afghanistan with Pakistan is being proposed. Funding worth a total of US$460 million looks to be supplied for the project by the 2332 World Bank. The upgraded road link will connect Torkham in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s Peshawar region and is expected to cost up to $483 million in all to build. Journey times between Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and the northern Pakistan city of Islamabad will be reduced, while the new highway will boost safety for travellers, as the existing route is known for its frequent crashes. The aim of the road project is to help economic development in what is one of Pakistan’s poorest regions, as well as in Afghanistan. The project will face a number of challenges, not the least of which will be technical due to the difficult terrain in this mountainous area.