How dangerous is Skardu Road? | Most Dangerous Roads in Pakistan | Islamabad To Skardu

Since the early eighties, the road had not been renovated, and was in a very poor condition. Fatal accidents, landslides, rockfalls and floods, were not uncommon along the route. Consequently, a large number of vehicles, with passengers and goods, used to fall off the road into the Indus River flowing down below. Several dozens of people died in accidents every year. The incidence of mishaps increased especially during the rainy season, when the broken and slippery road, coupled with the hydro-meteorological hazards, wreaked havoc, blocking the road every now and then, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
As a result, tourists either preferred travelling to Skardu by air or visited other areas in the north if they were travelling by road.
Successive Pakistani governments had promised to renovate the road since 2009, but work was continuously delayed.[3] It wasn't until 2017 that work finally started on this important project. It cost Rs. 31 billion, and took four years to complete.
On December 16, 2021, the upgraded road was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan.[4] The road has now been increased in width from 3.6 meters to 7.3 meters to allow a better and smooth flow of traffic. Moreover, the time it earlier took to reach Skardu from Gilgit was about 10 hours, which will now be reduced to four hours. However, the road project has been completed without tunnels and alignments which were initially part of the upgrade plan designed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). Thus, the uncertainty of closure of the road due to landslides still exists