The Karakorum highway (KKH) is a road in northern Pakistan that links Islamabad with Kashgar, China over the Khunjerab pass. It was built through some highly mountainous terrain between 1966 and 1982 (opened in 1986) by the Pakistani government with much Chinese assistance at a high human cost as well as financial ($3 billionn), an estimated 25,000 worked and 1,300 died during construction (882 official). It is over 1,250 km in length and despite constant efforts the harsh climate, snow and regular landslides often interrupt travel.