Chitral-Shandur highway set to complete by December

ISLAMABAD, Jul 30 (APP):All four packages of the 153-kilometre Chitral-Booni-Mastuj-Shandur Road are targeted for completion by December 2026, with the project requiring Rs4.20 billion in FY2026-27 to meet the deadline.

According to documents available with Wealth Pakistan, construction work is ongoing along the route connecting Chitral with Shandur through Pret, Booni, Mastuj and Shaidas.

The project was designated as National Highway N-140 and initiated after the route was federalised in May 2020 and divided into four construction packages. According to the document, Rs6.59 billion have been spent on the project to date.

Its annual allocation for 2025-26 stood at Rs1.50 billion, while an additional Rs5.50 billion was required during the year.

The 38.965km first package, extending from Chitral to Pret in Lower Chitral district, is the most advanced, with 47.54% of construction completed since work began in November 2021.

The original contract cost of the package was Rs2.67 billion, subsequently revised to Rs2.74 billion. Its original completion date was November 2023, while the targeted completion date is December 2026.

The project document states that physical progress on the 39.723km second package, covering the Pret-Booni section in Lower Chitral, has reached 34.77% since work commenced in November 2021. The contract cost of the second package was revised down to Rs2.81 billion from the original Rs2.83 billion. Its original completion date was November 2023, while completion is now targeted for December 2026.

The third package covers 36.14km from Booni to Shaidas in Upper Chitral district. Physical progress on this stretch has reached 38.16%. Construction began in November 2021, and the contract cost was revised from Rs2.55 billion to Rs2.61 billion. The package’s original completion date was November 2023, while the revised target is December 2026.

The 37.782km fourth package runs from Shaidas to Shandur in Upper Chitral. Work on this section began in August 2022 and has achieved 29.78% physical progress. Its original contract cost of Rs2.87 billion was revised to Rs2.93 billion. The original completion date was August 2024, while the new targeted completion date is December 2026.