Expansion of Pakistan National Highway 55

ongoing

The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of $235 million to further upgrade National Highway 55 in Pakistan, which is crucial to the countries regional connectivity and strengthen the government’s operation and maintenance of its highway network. The project will expand the 222 kilometre Shikarpur to Rajanpur section of the National Highway 55 from a two lane highway to a four-lane carriageway. N55 is part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor 5, which links Karachi and Gwardar in southern Pakistan to the national and international economic centres in the north. The project includes the construction of bus stops, emergency response centres, and traffic police facilities to ensure road safety enforcement and efficient post-crash response. The project also aims to help strengthen the traffic capacity of the National Highway Authority by supporting a five-year training program.