ISLAMABAD: In a major step to boost regional connectivity and cross-border trade with China, Pakistan’s National Highway Authority (NHA) on Monday afternoon initiated feasibility and detailed design work for the upgradation of the N-15 National Highway (Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad-Chilas) into a four-lane divided expressway.
Spanning 235 kilometers through the Himalayan foothills, the upgraded expressway will serve as a strategic corridor connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan and onward to China’s Xinjiang region via the Karakoram Highway (KKH).
Officials say the project will reduce travel time, enhance road safety, and create all-weather access to some of Pakistan’s most vital northern trade and tourism hubs, including Naran, Babusar Top, Chilas, and Skardu.
The design process, launched on June 17, 2025, has been awarded to a joint venture of M/s Zeeruk International and M/s KASIB Consultants, with M/s Osmani Global serving as the sub-consultant. The team is tasked with producing a comprehensive feasibility study and engineering design, which will underpin the project’s PC-I submission to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). The design phase will be completed in six months.
Officials stressed that the project is not merely about infrastructure but about deepening integration under CPEC’s northern expansion plan. Once operational, the Mansehra-Chilas expressway will complement the Karakoram Highway by offering an alternative route for trade convoys and tourism traffic heading toward Khunjerab Pass and Kashgar, China. It will also reduce the pressure on existing routes, allowing smoother flow of goods and passengers, particularly during peak tourism seasons and heavy cargo movements.
The expressway is expected to be constructed to international standards, featuring tunnels, bridges, and advanced safety features to ensure resilience against landslides, floods, and extreme weather conditions. Analysts highlight that such engineering upgrades are essential to sustaining year-round trade and people-to-people exchanges with China, especially given the increasing movement of goods under CPEC’s second phase, which emphasizes regional integration, industrial cooperation, and socio-economic uplift. By connecting the country’s northern highlands to China more efficiently, the Mansehra-Chilas expressway is poised to unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade, and local employment. It will also strengthen Pakistan’s role as a critical gateway for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in South Asia. –Agencies
