Road Construction Costs Rs. 70 Million Per Kilometer in KP, Senate Panel Informed

Constructing one kilometer of road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa costs around Rs. 70 million, officials from the provincial government informed the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs during a meeting to review foreign-funded development projects.

Officials told the committee that the province had built 770 kilometers of roads at a reported cost of Rs. 69 billion. However, Committee Chairman Senator Saifullah Abro questioned why an additional Rs. 43 billion had been included in the overall spending. In response, officials said the extra amount covered the construction of bridges linked to the road projects.

The committee also raised concerns over the award of construction contracts. Senator Abro questioned why only two or three companies received contracts despite the presence of several major construction firms in the province. Officials said other companies did not participate in the bidding process, but the chairman directed them to provide complete details of the tendering process after expressing concerns about the transparency of competitive bidding.

During a separate briefing, officials said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Road Rehabilitation and Upgradation Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, has completed the rehabilitation and upgrading of 249.5 kilometers of roads. The project, signed in 2018, has spent $146.2 million so far and is scheduled to conclude in October 2026. Completed roads include the Kalam Matiltan Mahodand Road, Shah Alam Sardar Yab Road, Risalpur Jahangira Road, and Haripur Hattar Taxila Road.

The committee was also informed that water sector projects worth $387 million are being implemented with support from the Asian Development Bank, while another $295 million in projects are being financed by the World Bank.

Officials said the ADB funded Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project, valued at Rs. 15 billion, is expected to be completed by June 2027. Around Rs. 12.98 billion has already been spent, with work underway on 143 irrigation, drainage, and flood protection schemes, of which 79 have been completed.

Committee members also questioned the selection of flood rehabilitation projects, saying reconstruction work did not always match the areas most affected by floods. Senator Rubina Khalid highlighted that Mardan received 16 road projects, while flood hit Dir saw only 12 kilometers of roads built. Senator Hidayatullah also questioned why nine roads were constructed in Peshawar despite the city not being significantly affected by flooding.