Pakistan’s Grand Trunk Road is finally getting the upgrade it has needed for decades. The federal government has formally approved a full transformation of the N-5 — the country’s longest national highway — into a uniform, three-lane, motorway-standard carriageway running its entire length from Karachi to Torkham.
The decision is not just a policy announcement. The National Highway Authority (NHA) has already been directed to begin work, and an internationally backed, two-phase execution plan is now in motion.
A Decision Long Overdue
The N-5, or National Highway 5, is an 1,819-kilometre road that runs from Karachi in Sindh to Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It serves as an important north–south road artery, passing through Hyderabad, Sukkur, Multan, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Nowshera, and Peshawar before entering the Khyber Pass toward the Afghan border.
The road is currently an economic powerhouse. It remains one of Pakistan’s most important trade and transportation routes, with an estimated 80% of Pakistan’s cargo transported via GT Road.
Despite this, the road has remained inconsistent in quality — a patchwork of widths, surfaces, and standards that has frustrated drivers and logistics operators alike for years.
The Two-Phase Upgrade Plan
In a high-level review meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, it was decided that the project will be executed in two phases and the GT Road will be upgraded to a uniform, three-lane carriageway, modelled on the standards of the motorways.
The communications minister explained that the objective of this mega project is to ensure a consistent and high-quality road infrastructure across the entire length of the GT Road.
Abdul Aleem Khan said past financially unviable road projects caused major losses, adding that this project aims to ensure quality infrastructure without burdening the national exchequer.
Phase 1: Priority Sections Rebuilt First
Phase 1A focuses on three key sections of N-5, covering a total of 141 kilometres: Ranipur to Sukkur (70 km) in Sindh Province, Rawalpindi to Burhan (40 km) in Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory, and Nowshera to Peshawar (31 km) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It was further assured that the first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion work on the N-5 would be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.
Phase 2: Full-Length Rehabilitation
Phase 1B will focus on another key section of N-5: Lahore to Gujranwala (68 km) in Punjab province, alongside the reconstruction of the Nai Baran Bridge in Sindh Province. The Phase 1B project will be prepared and approved after Phase 1A meets certain milestone criteria.
The overall multi-phase program aligns with Phase 1 of the NHA’s 20-year, four-phase plan to rebuild and expand this critical national infrastructure.
Read more: CDA to launch two more mega road projects on GT Road and Shaheen Chowk
International Financing: AIIB Backs N-5 Reconstruction
The upgrade is not solely government-funded. International development financing has been secured to strengthen the project.
The AIIB-supported multi-phase program aims to improve the climate resilience, operational efficiency, and road safety in selected critical sections of the National Highway N-5 in Pakistan.
The project aims to enhance climate resilience and road safety by reconstructing and upgrading critical four-lane segments into a climate-resilient six-lane dual carriageway.
The NHA will oversee the overall implementation of the project. To support this, the NHA plans to engage a design review and construction supervision consultant to assist in implementing civil works, monitoring, and evaluation.
This international backing adds a layer of accountability and financial depth that previous GT Road projects have lacked.
District-by-District: How the Work Will Actually Happen
Rather than attempting a single nationwide construction push — which has historically caused delays and cost overruns — the government has chosen a more surgical approach.
Abdul Aleem Khan reiterated the need to rehabilitate the key national artery on a district-to-district basis in order to minimise travel difficulties for the public.
He emphasised the significance of timely expansion and rehabilitation of the GT Road to maintain its optimal condition. He stressed that the available funds must be utilised judiciously.
The minister also announced that he would personally inspect the project sites along the N-5 and instructed the NHA chairman and senior officers of the department to conduct field visits at various stages to ensure on-ground progress.
The Economic Case for Upgrading GT Road
The financial rationale for this project is overwhelming.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion dollar infrastructure project, has also breathed new life into GT Road. The project aims to improve connectivity between Pakistan and China, and GT Road is a crucial part of this initiative.
The NHA is on track to complete 39 development projects valued at Rs 1,406.3 billion by the end of the current fiscal year.
The revised allocation includes Rs 56.7 billion in foreign assistance and Rs 1,349.6 billion in local funding. By July 2025, the road authority had already spent Rs 1,073.8 billion, reflecting significant progress on the projects.
A faster, safer, and more uniform GT Road directly reduces logistics costs, shortens travel times, and improves the competitiveness of Pakistan’s trade corridors — particularly for the export-oriented industrial clusters of Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot.
Tourism Corridor: Lahore to Wagah Border
The upgrade also touches GT Road’s cultural identity.
A recent initiative has aimed to transform the section from Quaid-e-Azam Interchange to the Wagah Border into a tourism corridor with a budget of Rs 3.28 billion. The project currently includes reconstructing a specific part of the GT Road. An artificial wall in the form of a fence will highlight the culture of Lahore, and those coming to the Wagah Border will benefit from a dedicated tourist experience.
This cultural investment runs in parallel with the structural upgrade, signalling a broader vision for the highway as both a commercial and tourism artery.
What This Means for Commuters and Commerce
For the millions of Pakistanis who use GT Road daily — truck drivers, long-haul freight operators, intercity commuters, and cross-border traders — this upgrade represents a structural shift in how the country’s most important road will function.
A uniform three-lane carriageway modelled on motorway standards means consistent lane widths, improved drainage, better surfacing, and safer travel conditions across the full stretch from Karachi to Torkham.
The minister noted that financially unviable projects in the past had caused losses to the national exchequer, whereas the current focus on motorways will prove economically beneficial in the long run.
With international financing in place, a 20-year NHA master plan providing the broader framework, and Phase 1 already underway, Pakistan’s most historic road is finally on course for the modern infrastructure it has long deserved.