ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to upgrade the Grand Trunk (G.T.) Road (N-5) to a uniform, three-lane carriageway, modeled on the standards of motorways.

The decision was taken in a highlevelreviewmeetingheld on Saturday and the National Highway Authority (NHA) was directed to start work on the project.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan chaired the meeting which had been specially convened to assess the plan to repair and expand G.T. Road.

Senior officials from the ministry of communications, planning department and economic affairs division along with the chairman of the NHA and other key stakeholders presented recommendations for the restoration and extension of the road.

The G.T. Road is a major north-south artery that traverses the country.

It is the longest national highway in Pakistan, running from Karachi to Torkham, near the Afghan border.

It was decided that the project would be executed in two phases and it was assured that the first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion work on the N-5 would be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said the objective of this mega project was to ensure a consistent and highquality road infrastructure.

He stated that the rehabilitation and expansion of the N-5 was a top priority and a well-coordinated two-phase strategy has been evolved for its execution.

The minister also announced that he would personally inspect the project sites along the N-5 and instructed the NHA chairman and senior officers of the department to conduct field visits at various stages to ensure onground progress.

During the meeting, senior officials shared proposals based on the cur-rently available funds for the restoration of the GT Road. Abdul Aleem Khan reiterated the need to rehabilitate the key national artery on a district-to-district basis in order to minimise travel difficulties for the public.

Mr Khan emphasised the significance of timely expansion and rehabilitation of the GT Road to maintain its optimal condition.

He stressed that the available funds must be utilised judiciously.

He directed all departments concerned to work on feasible proposals for the improvement of the historic highway.

He noted that financially unviable projects in the past had caused lossesto the national exchequer whereas the current focus on motorways will prove economically beneficial in the long run.