Raikot Bridge a road bridge situated on the
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...
, spanning the
River Indus
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...
. It is the gateway to
Nanga Parbat base camp, in
Diamer District,
Gilgit Baltistan,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.
From there, the Highway continues all the way up to
Khunjerab Pass and into
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. Alternatively, tourists can hire jeeps from the Bridge and follow an
unmetalled track till Tattu Village - a journey which takes around 90 minutes. A further three-hour hike takes one to the
Fairy Meadows National Park
Fairy Meadows ( ur, ), named by German climbers (German ''Märchenwiese'', “fairy tale meadows”) and locally known as Joot, is a grassland near one of the base camp sites of the Nanga Parbat, located in Diamer District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pa ...
.
Services
A small
junction village is located around the bridge. It houses a few hotels, several small shops and restaurants, and a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
.
Upgradation
On January 18, 2008,
China Eximbank and the
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...
signed a $327,740,000 loan agreement for the Karakoram Highway Improvement (Raikot-Khunjerab Section) Project. This project, also known as the Karakoram Highway (KKH) Upgrade Project, involved the upgrading of a 335 km segment of the Karakoram Highway runs from Raikot to Khunjerab. This segment was widened from 10 to 30 meters, making it suitable for heavy and long vehicles and allowing it to remain functional throughout the year. 32 new bridges were also constructed, while 27 were rehabilitated. The total cost of the project was $491 million.
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the
Pakistan National Highway Authority (NHA) were responsible for implementation of the project, while
National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) served as a consultant for the project.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 16, 2008, after which construction began on August 1, 2008. The project was successfully completed on November 30, 2013. The road work was designed and constructed in accordance with China's three-level highway standard. Final inspection of the project was carried out by NHA Inspection Wing.
See also
*
Fairy Meadows, Nanga Parbat
References
Bridges over the Indus River
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