Complete Malir Expressway up to Quaidabad by December, orders CM

Construction work on the Malir Expressway is in full swing, and so far 15 kilometres of earthwork from the Jam Sadiq Bridge to Quaidabad has been completed, but there are some land issues in completing the project that need to be resolved.

This was disclosed during a meeting that was chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House on Wednesday. The chief executive of the province envisaged a plan to construct an expressway on the Malir River to facilitate thousands of commuters as well as the heavy traffic of 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 project includes the development of 38.75 kilometres of a three-by-three lane expressway with controlled access along the Malir River starting from the Korangi Creek Avenue (DHA) and ending at the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) near Kathore via the existing Link Road.

The proposed expressway will provide speedy access to the main housing schemes along the route, reducing the commuting time from the Korangi Creek Avenue (DHA) to the Super Highway (M-9) to only 25 minutes. The expressway will have six interchanges. Progress concerning construction activities, including clearing and grubbing on the main alignment and the construction of temporary service roads for the movement of construction equipment inside the riverbed, is in full swing.

The CM was told that there are some land issues, as some parts of the land are owned by people and some parts belong to the Pakistan Air Force. On this Shah directed the chief secretary to talk to the authorities concerned so that work on the project can continue unhindered. The CM directed the Karachi police chief to set up a police picket on the site of the Malir Expressway for the security of the labourers and the machinery mobilised there.

He also directed the local government minister to keep visiting the work site so that its portion up to Quaidabad can be completed within the next eight months. The meeting was attended by LG Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab, CS Sohail Rajput, CM’s Principal Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, LG Secretary Najam Shah, Malir Expressway Project Director Niaz Soomro, Additional Secretary Finance Asad Zamin and others.