Navigating treacherous terrain and a dense population, a team built a 118-km road that will ease congestion and create economic opportunity for Pakistan. The team collaborated with academic institutions, national laboratories, international equipment and materials suppliers, security advisers, medical teams and consultants from many countries. 

While building 105 bridges, six tunnels, three interchanges, six toll stations and 22 related buildings, the team provided assistance to orphanages, schools, people with disabilities and other socially vulnerable groups along the project route. Advanced tools included drones for surveying and mapping, intelligent bridge tensioning and automatic spray curing technology, a tunnel satellite system and comprehensive slope protection. Considering the region’s elevated seismic risks, the team utilized high-damping isolation bearings on the bridges, a first for Pakistan. Other seismic measures included plastic hinges on pile columns, increasing the widths of beams and setting seismic tie rods at the beams’ ends.

The challenging geology included highly weathered rock and steep slopes as high as 65 m. Vegetation, arch frames, anchor rods and anti-slide piles were installed, as well as prestressed anchor cable ribbed walls.

According to local media reports, National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) managing director Tahir Masood said the road was divided into two segments—the 40-km Havelian-Mansehra Expressway and the 80-km Mansehra-Thakot Class-II Highway. NESPAK’s biggest challenge was to restore cross connectivity to villages and communities cut by the fenced alignment. 

He called the project “a symbol of Pakistan-China’s long-lasting, brotherly and strong relationship.”