‘25pc unfinished’ Malir-15 flyover inaugurated

Rs1b spent on project; Azeempura loop to be completed by June this year   

Karachi

The Malir-15 flyover, which has been under construction since December 2013, was finally opened for traffic on Monday.

The project was inaugurated by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Pakistan Peoples Party Women Wing President MNA Faryal Talpur.

Owing to slow construction work, commuters had been facing serious problems on both tracks of the National Highway for the last several months. The Sindh governor and the chief minister taking notice of the slow construction of the bridge - which was supposed to be completed in two years - had ordered the officials concerned to speed up work so that recurrent traffic jams on one of the main highways of the city could be avoided.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, Sindh Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro said a sum of Rs1 billion had been spent on construction of the flyover.

However, he said that a loop of the flyover leading up to Azeempura, while crossing over the main railway tracks, was yet to be completed.

The unfinished loop constitutes 25 percent of the bridge and is expected to be completed by June this year.

Shoro said the bridge had been opened for vehicular traffic without completing the Azeempura loop in order to facilitate vehicular traffic on both sides of the National Highway.

The minister said that after completion of the flyover, the residents of Karachi would soon hear good news regarding progress on the K-IV bulk water supply scheme and the S-III drainage plan for the city, adding that both projects would be completed within their stipulated period.

He also said the problem of water shortage in Karachi would be overcome to a large extent after the K-IV project would be launched while the issues of drainage and sewerage system would also be resolved with completion of the S-III project.