ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Japan on Wednesday extended an initial grant of $34 million for the construction and extension of 94-kilometre track of the Kararo-Wadh section of the National Highway N-25 project. Japanese Ambassador Nobuaki Tanaka and Secretary Economic Affairs Division Khalid Saeed signed the exchange of notes in this regard here on Wednesday.

The National Highway N-25, linking Karachi to Chaman via Quetta, is a strategically important road having a total length of 813 kilometres. This route connects Karachi port with Kandahar (Afghanistan) and extends onwards to neighbouring countries particularly to the landlocked Central Asian states and is of immense importance with regard to trade and transit.

The project would be implemented in two stages and was expected to be completed by 2010. The first short phase, for which the agreement was signed on Wednesday, would require $860,000.

The construction work would be carried out on a shared basis by the National Highways Authority (NHA) and Japan. At present 96 kilometres of the project target road was narrow of which 44.8 kilometres required major improvement while 51.2 kilometres needed minor works.

The proposed project would widen the road to a specified width of 7.3 metres by bringing it to the Asian Highway Standards that would include proper pavements and rehabilitation, reconstruction of cross drainage structures, bridges, installation of proper traffic signs, guard rails and other road safety measures.

On the occasion of the signing ceremony, Mr Tanaka said an efficient transport network played an important role in the socio-economic development of a country. Strengthening Pakistan’s infrastructure was therefore a basic imperative for sustaining the growth momentum. He said better road infrastructure was associated with greater market access.

He said Japan wanted to play a long-term role in the development of Balochistan.