GILGIT, July 14: The Chinese construction firms have arrived in Northern Areas to start construction of the proposed 14 reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridges on the Karakoram Highway (KKH).

The project is a joint venture and it would cost Rs3 billion, informed sources told Dawn.

The bridges including a protective cover at Sust sliding area in upper Hunza, about 170km will be constructed mainly at flood streams along the Karakoram Highway between Khunjrab and Gilgit, the sources said.

They added that the Chinese firms arrived in Northern Areas with their engineers and equipment to undertake the work on the project.

They added that due to frequent sliding and floods, the transportation on the highway suffered during the peak trade season.

The sources said the Chinese engineers had started work on a bridge at Hussaini village, about 130km from here in Gojal tehsil, as the surrounding glacier had undermined the three makeshift bridges on Karakoram Highway.