Rs39bn contract for Karachi’s Malir Expressway approved

Sindh’s chief minister has decided to award the contract for the construction of the Malir Expressway to a consortium. The estimated cost of the project is Rs39 billion.

Syed Murad Ali Shah gave his approval on Tuesday during the 30th meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Board that the provincial chief executive presided over.

The meeting was told that the Malir Expressway project was initiated by the local government department under public-private partnership, and a technical & financial evaluation committee was constituted for the procurement process of the project.

The relevant officials said the committee approved the bidding documents under the single-stage procurement process, and advertisements were published in local and international newspapers on July 31, 2019.

The meeting was told that three companies had filed their bids, and a consortium of four companies was declared as the successful bidder because of their lowest bid.

The Malir Expressway’s length will be 38.75 kilometres and it will be a three-into-three-lane expressway along the Malir River, starting from the Korangi Creek Avenue in the DHA neighbourhood and ending at the M-9 Karachi-Hyderabad motorway near Kathore via the existing link road.

The expressway will provide speedy access to travellers, thereby reducing the current time it takes to commute to only 25 minutes. It will also have six interchanges. CM Shah said that the scope of the project covers design, build, finance, operation and maintenance.

He said that the expressway on the Malir River will facilitate thousands of commuters and the heavy traffic travelling from the Karachi port, the Korangi Industrial Area, the Landhi Industrial Area, the Steel Mills, the Port Qasim and other such areas towards upcountry through the National Highway and the Super Highway.

The policy board approved the issuance of the letter of award to the winning bidder. It also issued directives for clearing the right of way for the expressway, directing the law officer to follow up on the Malir riverbed material lifting petition in court on a priority basis.

The provincial chief executive termed the decision to approve the contract as one of the historic and greatest gifts to the people of the metropolitan city, particularly the industrialists.

More city projects

The policy board decided to construct an alternate link road to facilitate Korangi Creek residents, the nearby educational institutions, the industrial zones and the PAF Airmen Academy.

The board also decided to construct an expressway from Mauripur Road to the Hawkesbay Y junction, at the ICI Interchange at the junction of the ICI Bridge and the Jinnah Bridge under public-private partnership.

CM Shah termed this decision as one of the best that was taken in the interest of the people of the city and for the smooth flow of traffic. The board directed the Public-Private Partnership Unit to prepare their feasibility report and float the national and international tenders soon.

Toll Plaza

The board decided that the operation and maintenance of two roads — from Tando Mohammad Khan to Badin Road and from Khyber to Sanghar Road — will be constructed under public-private partnership.

Therefore, the policy board decided to install a toll tax system at these roads and the preparation of their feasibility report so that they can be launched under public-private partnership.

NICH

Taking another important decision, the policy board allowed the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) to outsource its safety and security responsibilities, and allowed the health facility to issue a letter of award and to sign a concession agreement with a private party.

Tourism

The board observed that Sindh has beautiful and the best tourist and recreational spots such as the Gorakh Hill Station, the Keenjhar Lake and the Haleji Lake.

The policy board directed the Public-Private Partnership Unit to prepare a feasibility report for turning them into tourist spots of international repute so that their design, build, finance, operation and maintenance can be made through a private party.

he chief executive of the province said that he will identify more such spots, including some parks, so that they can be developed as the most beautiful recreational spots.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Shah, Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Planning & Development Chairman Mohammad Waseem, CM’s Principal Secretary Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi, Local Government Secretary Roshan Shaikh, Works Secretary Imran Atta Soomro, Public-Private Partnership Unit Managing Director Khalid Shaikh and NED University of Engineering & Technology Vice-Chancellor Dr Sarosh Lodhi among others.