KARACHI, April 3: The ongoing construction work of underpass at Schon Circle will be completed within a record time of four and a half months. Federal Ports and Shipping Minister Senator Babar Khan Ghauri, who along with KPT Chairman Vice-Admiral Ahmed Hayat Khan visited the site here on Sunday afternoon, was informed that 10 per cent of the work in terms of its physical progress had been accomplished. He was further informed that the remaining work was being expedited with due consideration towards quality.

The underpass being built as a part of the four-phased Mai Kolachi Road project was committed by the Karachi Port Trust under Tameer-i-Pakistan Programme announced by President Musharraf a year back.

KPT Chairman Vice-Admiral Ahmed Hayat Khan apprised the federal minister that the total cost of the project would come around Rs699 million, which was being arranged

by the KPT.

Frontier Works Organization has been commissioned to complete the entire project. Work at all phases has commenced simultaneously and is in progress from M.T. Khan Road to National Logistic Cell; from NLC to Railway Crossing at Mai Kolachi Bypass; from Railway Crossing to Aga Khan Jamaat Khana, Schon Circle; from Schon Circle to Punjab Chowrangi (Sub-Marine Chowk).

It may be mentioned that different underpasses are part of the Mai Kolachi Road Project, aimed at reducing the heavy traffic load. These underpasses are also going to be first of their kind in the city.

Babar Khan Ghauri was also informed that the KPT had undertaken three other development projects in the metropolis, including reconstruction and rehabilitation of M.T. Khan Road, construction of a flyover at Hino Chowk (Qayyumabad Chowrangi) and reconstruction of M.A. Jinnah Raod to Keamari. —APP