The Karakoram Highway also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 or China–Pakistan Friendship Highway is a 1,300 km (810 mi) national highway extending from Hasan Abdal in Pakistan’s Punjab province to the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it crosses into China and becomes China National Highway . . . The highway through the Karakoram Range is one of the highest paved roads in the world. The maximum elevation of 4,714 m (15,466 ft) near the Khunjerab Pass at 36°51’00’N 75°25’40’E. It is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world due to its altitude and difficult conditions. The highway is also part of Asian Highway AH4
How long is the Karakoram Highway?
The two-way road (known as the Karakoram Highway and the China–Pakistan Friendship Highway) is 1,300 km (810 mi) long (Pakistan: 887 km (551 mi) and China: 413 km (257 mi)), running through disputed Kashmir from Hassan Abdal (a small town near Rawalpindi and Islamabad) to Kashgar, Xinjiang province, western China.
Is the Karakoram Highway open?
The road is open all year round except for the Khunjerab Pass, located at an altitude of 4.693 metres (15,397 ft) above sea level, which opens only between 1 May and 31 December due to heavy snow. Heavy snowfall during harsh winters can close the highway for extended periods. Heavy monsoon rains around July and August sometimes cause landslides that can block the road for hours or longer. Drive carefully as this is a mountain road with hairpin curves and dangerous drop offs.
When was the Karakoram Highway built?
The road is one of the scariest and most hair-raising jeep rides in the world. Construction of the road began in 1959 and was opened to the public in 1986 after 27 years of corded drilling and construction. 810 Pakistani and 82 Chinese workers lost their lives, mostly from landslides and falls during the construction of the highway.
Is the Karakoram Highway being improved?
Traveling here is not for the faint of heart, although transportation has improved significantly in the past decades. Some sections must be regularly cleared and repaired. Sometimes, parts of the road need to be rebuilt when they disappear. According to China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the road is going to be improved in the next years: the width of the highway will be increased from 10 meters to 30 meters, and its transportation capacity will increase threefold. Also, upgraded road grades will be built to accommodate heavy-duty vehicles and extreme weather conditions. Largely due to the extremely sensitive situation of the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, the Karakoram Highway has strategic and military importance. In 2010, a landslide in the Hunza Valley caused a section of the road to be submerged. In 2015, the damaged road was replaced with the construction of a masterpiece known as the Attabad Lake Tunnel. It is a series of 5 tunnels located at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level. The newly constructed section is 24 km (15 mi) long and includes two bridges, 78 culverts and five tunnels with a total length of 7 km, at a cost of $275 million.
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