KOHAT, Sept 29: The Asian Development Bank, after completing preliminary surveys in the area, has approved the construction of national high way which will connect Punjab with Afghanistan through Kohat and Parachinar, it has been learnt.

Different teams of the ADB visited various villages on the Kohat-Parachinar road and conducted community and environmental surveys and floated tenders after declaring the project as feasible, Engr Mohammad Ayub, Frontier Highway Authority assistant director, confirmed to Dawn on Wednesday.

Tenders have been called through the FHA for 55-kilometre-long Kohat-Thall section-I and 51-kilometre-long Kohat-Thall section-II. The work on the project is expected to start by June 2005.

Engr Ayub said that the FHA had already completed 80 per cent work on the 26-kilometre long Khushalgarh to Kohat city portion of the project whereas the rest of the dual road linking Kohat and Parachinar would be constructed under the supervision of the National Highway Authority.

The tribesmen belonging to Orakzai and Kurram Agencies would also benefit from the project of vital national importance. The road would be 7.3 metres wide with 2.5 metres treated shoulders and embankment height of one metre. Similarly, the PC-1 for a new bridge on Indus river at Khushalgarh to replace the 120-year-old railway bridge is in its final stage.