The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $320 million loan to support the rehabilitation of roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and enhance their safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A\u00a0press release<\/a>\u00a0issued by the ADB today said, \u201cThe\u00a0Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project<\/a>\u00a0will upgrade around 900 kilometers of rural roads in the province that are susceptible to floods and are in poor condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese cover key routes that link remote communities to education, health care, and markets,\u201d the statement read, adding that the project included \u201cmeasures to incorporate climate-resilient design, road safety enhancement, and sustainable maintenance practices\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoad transport is both a lifeline to the people and a key component of socioeconomic development in Pakistan,\u201d ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official highlighted that the project will \u201creduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and increase access to economic opportunities for millions of residents\u201d in KP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy providing better access to markets and services, we are empowering local communities and driving inclusive economic growth in one of Pakistan\u2019s most underserved regions,\u201d Zhukov said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, the project will \u201coffer technical and financial support to assist the government in preparing long-term targeted interventions that will enhance the climate resilience and sustainability of the province\u2019s road network\u201d, the press release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to ADB, the lack of resilient infrastructure in KP has \u201cescalated the impact of disasters on people and livelihoods\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ADB Senior Transport Specialist Seunghyun Kim said that the Bank \u201cwill help the government conduct a comprehensive study on flood susceptibility, with a focus on landslide vulnerability across the province, to identify priority roads\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe will support the government in preparing concessional contracts for the operation and maintenance of two tourism roads, which will contribute to the sustainability of the road network,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 1966, ADB has committed over $52 billion to finance \u201cinclusive economic growth in Pakistan and improve the country\u2019s infrastructure, energy and food security, transport networks, and social services\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n