By Abdul Ghani

Eleven major highway projects undertaken by the National Highway Authority (NHA) are at varying stages of completion, with cumulative expenditure reaching Rs178.38 billion by June 2026.

According to a document available with Wealth Pakistan, the government earmarked around Rs23.62 billion under PSDP 2026-27 for the projects, while releases during the first quarter of the fiscal year 2026-27 stood at approximately Rs4.96 billion.

The projects cover important road links across the country and are at varying stages of physical completion, ranging from 21% to 75%. This indicates that while several schemes are approaching their final stages, others categorized under the near-completion portfolio still require substantial construction work.

Among the projects, land acquisition, affected-property compensation, and relocation of utilities for construction of the 959Km Karachi-Lahore Motorway (KLM) carry the largest cumulative expenditure of around Rs45.319 billion up to June 2026. Its physical progress is 68%, with Rs800 million allocated for FY2026-27.

The Shandur-Gilgit Road project, measuring 216 kilometres, is another major scheme in the portfolio. Cumulative expenditure up to June 2026 stands at about Rs42.21 billion, while its FY2026-27 allocation is Rs1 billion. The document records varying progress across its packages, with some sections considerably more advanced than others.

Another major scheme concerns the Hoshab-Awaran-Khuzdar section of M-8, where two sections are under construction. The Hoshab-Awaran-Naal section carries cumulative expenditure of approximately Rs23.26 billion, with an allocation of Rs3 billion during FY2026-27. Package-wise progress ranges from roughly 45% to 60%.

The Hoshab-Awaran section, meanwhile, has reached a cumulative expenditure of about Rs10.23 billion, with an additional Rs3.5 billion allocated for the and FY2026-27 fiscal year. Physical progress across its packages ranges from around 62% to 66%.

The document also lists an additional carriageway project (Shikarpur-Rajanpur section) on the Indus Highway (N-55) among the near-completion projects. Cumulative spending reached around Rs31.34 billion through June 2026, while Rs5 billion was allocated for FY2026-27. Progress varies substantially among its four lots, from around 22% to 94%.

Other projects in the portfolio include land acquisition and compensation for the Rajanpur-DG Khan section of N-55, improvement and widening of the Chitral-Booni-Mastuj-Shandur Road, construction of a flyover at the junction of N-5 and N-65 in Sukkur, extension of the Mansehra Highway from GT Road (N-5) to Motorway (M-1), construction of a link highway connecting the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway with Narowal through the Narang Mandi area, and rehabilitation and upgrading of the Pezu-Tank Road.

According to data, these 11 projects have a combined throw-forward requirement of around Rs111.51 billion as of July 2026.

During the first quarter of FY2026-27, approximately Rs4.96 billion was released against the near-completion portfolio. Utilisation was recorded at roughly Rs3.49 billion, while outstanding liabilities stood at approximately Rs16.46 billion.

Credit: INP-WealthPk