KARACHI, Feb 24: Sometimes next week one of the top government functionaries is performing a groundbreaking ceremony of a Rs5 billion bridge construction project on River Indus that will connect Khairpur with Sukkur and reduce the distance by 59 kilometres.

The scheme proposes to construct a two-lane 24 feet bridge over River Indus including a 43-km long approach road as approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in October last and had recommended for approval to the Economic Committee of National Economic Council.

On completion, expected in next three years at a total cost of Rs4.8 billion, the bridge will not only reduce the distance between Khairpur and Sukkur but will also provide access to the highway and motorways now in process of upgrading on both left and right banks of River Indus. It is bound to open up area to the entire Pakistan.

For last more than 23 years, the people of the province particularly of these two districts have been demanding construction of an all weather permanent bridge on River Indus to save time on travelling. For one reason or the other, the inclusion of project in the Public Sector Development Programme was put off.

“Our government took up the project with renewed enthusiasm for inclusion in the PSDP after 2002 elections,” Sindh Planning and Development Minister Syed Shoib Ahmad Bokhari said in an informal conversation.

As he said a meeting of the political leaders that included the elected Nazims of the two districts and senior officials and chaired by him finalised the alignment of the bridge at North of Baqirani and North of Khuhra with the approval of the Provincial Chief Minister.

The project was included in the PSDP for 2004-05 with a token allocation of Rs5 million. It could, however, not be taken up but now has been included the PSDP for the current fiscal year. The National Highway Authority (NHA) is taking up the implementation of the project and has given a schedule.