18 December 2004	Saturday	05 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Dec 17: The work on the Shahrah-i-Quaideen Flyover is progressing satisfactorily and it will be opened for traffic in February, says City Nazim Naimatullah Khan. He was talking to journalists at the flyover site.

Reiterating the city government's determination to construct more flyovers, underpasses, pedestrian bridges and roads, the Nazim said that these projects were aimed at streamlining the city's traffic system.

The Rs109.66 million flyover called a 'grade-separated intersection at Sharea Faisal and Shahrah-i-Quaideen intersection', has two bridges - between Sharea Faisal and Shahrah-i-Quideen and Shahrah-i-Quaideen and Metropole - each spanning 533 metres.

The Sharea Faisal-Shahrah-i-Quaideen bridge will have two lanes while the other bridge will have three lanes and will facilitate the traffic flow moving towards Sharea Faisal from Shahrah-i-Quaideen.

The Nazim said that it would be the third flyover to be built by the city government, adding that two other flyovers - Shah Faisal and the FTC (Finance and Trade Centre) flyovers - had already been opened for traffic.

He said that despite being delayed by four months, the project would be completed on time and help remove traffic bottlenecks on both Sharea Faisal and Shahrah-i-Quiadeen.

The CDGK's works and services department's executive district officer, Shoaib Siddiqui, who was present on the occasion, said that efforts were being made to complete the flyover in January.

The CDGK has already introduced around 250 jumbo-sized environment-friendly buses under its Urban Transport Scheme and the same number of similar buses would be inducted on various routes in February, the nazim said. Construction of roads, remodelling of roundabouts and reconstruction of main thoroughfares had already helped in easing chronic traffic congestions, he added.

Referring to the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway, he said that the KCR would initially be run between Karachi City and Drigh Road stations in January. It would later be extended to Baldia, Site and Orangi stations within the next couple of years. Earlier, briefing the press about the flyover, project engineer Syed Mohammad Taha said that over 80 per cent of the work had already been completed.