ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The World Bank has provided Rs1.61 billion to the National Highway Authority for the improvement of the highway from Rawalpindi to Peshawar, top NHA officials said.

This amount will be spent on two major rehabilitation projects, including Rs1.1 billion for the construction of the 57-km Tarnol to Chablot section and Rs512 million for the 68-km Nowshera to Peshawar section of the highway technically known as N-5, said NHA member operations Brig Shahid Majeed.

Work has already started on the projects and about 3 km of the road, from Tarnol to Sangjani, has been completed and opened for traffic. The remaining portions along with bridges, flyovers and underpasses will be completed in about one-and-a-half year, an NHA official said. The N-5 Road will be one of the best highways when completed, said Brig Shahid.

At present, the highway is in extremely shabby condition causing great trouble to motorists and public transport owners.

One of the oldest and busiest, the N-5 Road has become so risky to travel on due to the frequent diversions, swerves, its numerous broken sections, ups and downs, ditches and unnecessary speed breakers -- most of which appear all of a sudden. A motorist travelling at a high speed increases his chances to a maximum of being involved in an accident if he has to apply brakes or reduce speed suddenly on such a shoddy road.

Motorists and public transporters have been facing great trouble travelling on this highway.