ISLAMABAD: The 42.5 percent of the country’s national road network has less than five years of remaining service life and requires immediate rehabilitation, according to the Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) prepared by the National Highway Authority).
The maintenance plan was prepared after conducting visual road condition surveys, using multi-function vehicles to assess pavement roughness, and applying other scientific methods to evaluate the structural strength of the highway network.
According to an official document seen by The Nation, the remaining service life of 42.5 percent of the national road network is less than five years, a situation described as alarming and requiring urgent attention from policymakers.
It is pertinent to mention that most maintenance works across the country have been halted as the Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, reportedly termed many of them as “unnecessary expenditures.”
However, the AMP for 2024-25 indicates that the national road network requires immediate intervention; otherwise, assets worth trillions of rupees could face serious deterioration.
“In case of non-implementation of AMP in letter and spirit in future, it may cause a decline in the average IRI value and remaining service life in subsequent years, indicating an overall decline in assets worth trillions of rupees,” the document states.
Following the nod of the NHA Executive Board, the National Highway Council in its last meeting also approved the Annual Maintenance Plan for 2025-26 amounting to Rs123.93 billion, in addition to Rs59.45 billion in carry-forward liabilities from previous years.
The NHA is the custodian of more than 14,000 kilometres of motorways and national highways across the country, for which a comprehensive maintenance plan is prepared annually.
Since maintenance funds are largely generated through the authority’s own resources and there was previously no concept of lapse, leftover schemes from previous years were often carried forward and executed alongside projects of the current year.
Under the revised approach, however, all leftover schemes have been consolidated into the AMP 2025-26. It has also been decided that unawarded projects will be included in the following year’s plan instead of remaining indefinitely on the books.
A joint venture of private consultants — M/s Zeeruk International, KASIB, PID, and Usmani — was hired to assist the NHA in the preparation of the maintenance plan.
Out of the total Rs123.93 billion allocated for maintenance, around Rs114.15 billion will be generated by the NHA through its own gross revenue, while Rs9.78 billion will be provided by the Government of Pakistan as a grant during the current fiscal year.
According to the AMP, Periodic Maintenance (Structural Overlay) has been allocated around Rs20.29 billion, making it the largest single component of the plan. This is followed by Periodic Maintenance (Functional Overlay) with approximately Rs13.18 billion, while Routine Maintenance across different zones accounts for about Rs6.78 billion.
In addition, Rs4.54 billion has been set aside as a special grant for routine maintenance of the Karakoram Highway and S-1 corridors.
Other major allocations include Rs3.51 billion for rehabilitation works, Rs2 billion for bridges and culverts, and Rs1.7 billion for highway safety measures, reflecting a focus on maintaining the structural integrity and safety of the national highway network.
Besides maintenance works, the document shows Rs18.02 billion allocated for capital works and new projects, while Rs12 billion has been earmarked for restoration of damages caused by the 2025 super floods.
Special maintenance works approved by the National Highway Engineering Services (NHES) have been allocated Rs7.45 billion, whereas administrative expenses stand at Rs8.5 billion and emergency maintenance at Rs4 billion.
Other allocations include Rs2.5 billion for toll plazas and weigh stations, Rs2.25 billion for consultancy services, and Rs2.5 billion for installation of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) on motorways.
