KARACHI, April 7: The Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC) has designed a 13-km-long thoroughfare, as an alternative to Sharea Faisal, from the expressway in Baloch Colony up to the Malir Bridge on the National Highway. A presentation of the project was given to Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, at a recent meeting, by KMTC Director-General Malik Zaheerul Islam, according to sources who added that the new thoroughfare would provide an alternative route to private and public transport while Sharea Faisal would remain blocked due to security measures for VIP figures.
The meeting, attended by City Nazim Niamatullah Khan, DCO Karachi, Additional Chief Secretary Local Government and KMTC officials, approved the construction of the road. “The proposed project is agreed in principle. A detailed feasibility be prepared under the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme following the standard practice,” the meeting observed.
The sources said that the expression of interests (EoI) would be invited in the days to come as the work on it had been started.
They said that the project was likely to be completed in two years after start of work on it.
Giving details, they said that the road would have interchanges at four points — Baloch Colony, Shah Faisal Colony No.5, Shah Faisal Colony, and Malir River bridge.
After completion of the proposed project, the thoroughfare would connect Shah Faisal Colony and its adjoining areas with city centre and southern parts of the city, providing a trouble free access to people. It would also help reduce the traffic volume on Sharea Faisal by 15-20 per cent, besides reducing distance, travel time and fuel cost.
The sources further stated that much of the proposed thoroughfare’s length would run parallel to the protective embankment (bund) existing on the right bank of Malir River.
However, due to the encroachments along the populated areas of Shah Faisal Colony, some narrow sections of the project site would need to be widened to construct the road on river side and the protective bund.
The road would run through the PAF Base and populous Shah Faisal Colony. The alignment would terminate at a point on National Highway covering the main railway line through an overhead bridge and connecting the highway through a grade-separated interchange.
