A Tunnel for the Future: Ensuring Safe and Uninterrupted Connectivity on the Gilgit–Skardu Expressway

By  Syed Shamsuddin

THE Gilgit–Skardu Expressway stands as one of the most remarkable infrastructure projects undertaken in Gilgit-Baltistan. It has dramatically reduced travel time between Gilgit and Skardu, strengthened regional integration, facilitated trade, and opened Baltistan to an unprecedented influx of domestic and international tourists. Today, the highway is not merely a road; it is the economic and social lifeline connecting the twin regions of Gilgit and Baltistan.

Yet, despite its immense significance, one critical weakness continues to undermine its reliability. The Astak Nala–Malopa section in Roundu Valley remains chronically vulnerable to landslides, rockfalls, flash floods, and slope failures. Almost every year, this notorious stretch becomes impassable, bringing traffic to a standstill, endangering precious lives, disrupting tourism, and interrupting the movement of goods and emergency services. While the tireless efforts of the road maintenance authorities deserve appreciation, repeated debris clearance provides only temporary relief. It does not eliminate the underlying geological hazard.

The only practical and lasting solution lies in constructing a robust, scientifically engineered tunnel bypassing this unstable section. Such a tunnel would transform the expressway into a truly all-weather corridor, ensuring safe and uninterrupted travel throughout the year.

The urgency of this project is becoming increasingly evident because traffic on the Gilgit–Skardu Expressway is growing at an unprecedented pace. Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan has expanded enormously over the past few years, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors eager to experience the breathtaking landscapes of Baltistan, Deosai, and the mighty Karakoram Range. Every tourist season witnesses a substantial increase in vehicular movement along this strategic route.

Equally significant, though often overlooked, is another factor contributing to the growing traffic volume. Owing to the frequent cancellation and prolonged suspension of flights to Gilgit because of adverse weather conditions, an increasing number of residents of the Gilgit region now travel by road to Skardu Airport, whose flights to Islamabad generally operate with greater regularity and reliability. Likewise, many passengers arriving from Islamabad prefer to land at Skardu and continue their journey to Gilgit by road. Consequently, the Gilgit–Skardu Expressway has assumed an additional role as a dependable airport access corridor for a large segment of the population.

This dual function—as a premier tourist highway and as a vital link to reliable air travel—has greatly increased traffic density. Any closure of the Astak Nala section therefore has far-reaching consequences, stranding tourists, delaying patients requiring urgent medical attention, interrupting commercial transportation, and causing travellers to miss scheduled flights.

These concerns are not merely theoretical. They are borne out by personal experience.

Approximately two and a half months ago, I travelled to Thowar in Roundu to attend the Fateha Khawani of a close relative. While returning the same night, our vehicle reached the landslide-prone stretch near Astak Nala, probably around Malopa. Strong winds were blowing, and the entire area was engulfed in dense clouds of dust. Visibility had deteriorated to such an extent that the road ahead had virtually disappeared from sight. Every passing moment carried the fear that fresh rocks or debris might tumble down from the towering mountains above. Fortunately, fate was kind, and no fresh landslide occurred. Driving at an extremely slow pace, we eventually managed to negotiate the dangerous stretch safely.

Barely six weeks later, I again travelled from Rawalpindi to Skardu by air before proceeding towards Gilgit by road. Once more, we encountered the same notorious location. We were informed that a brief spell of rain only a few hours earlier had triggered another landslide, and the authorities had just succeeded in clearing the accumulated debris. Even then, crossing the affected section remained an anxious and nerve-racking experience.

Subsequently, I had occasion to traverse this highway on three more journeys between Skardu and Islamabad and back. On every trip, the same vulnerable locations remained a constant source of apprehension, vividly illustrating how precarious travel continues to be despite the otherwise excellent standard of the expressway.

Infrastructure development should not merely focus on reducing travel time; it must also guarantee safety, reliability, and resilience against natural hazards. Investment in a tunnel at Astak Nala should therefore be viewed not as an expenditure but as a long-term investment in public safety, tourism promotion, economic growth, and regional connectivity. The cost of constructing such a tunnel would be more than offset by the savings arising from reduced maintenance expenditure, uninterrupted transportation, prevention of accidents, and enhanced commercial activity.

Gilgit-Baltistan is rapidly emerging as one of Pakistan's foremost tourism destinations. However, sustaining this growth requires infrastructure capable of withstanding the region's challenging topography and increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions. The Astak Nala bottleneck has remained the Achilles' heel of the Gilgit–Skardu Expressway for far too long.

The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Federal Government would do well to commission a comprehensive geological and engineering feasibility study for the construction of tunnels at the most hazardous landslide-prone locations, particularly the Astak Nala–Malopa section. Such an initiative would not only save lives but also ensure uninterrupted connectivity, strengthen public confidence, facilitate tourism, and contribute significantly to the long-term socio-economic development of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Gilgit–Skardu Expressway is already a remarkable achievement. Completing it with strategically located tunnels at its most vulnerable points would elevate it into a world-class mountain highway worthy of the spectacular region it serves.