KARACHI: People passing through Saddar will have to face hardship for a few more months as two main thoroughfares in the city centre are being reconstructed.

Commuters, particularly those going from Saddar to M.A. Jinnah Road, were caught in traffic jam during the evening rush hour on Monday as a portion of the road along the Bambino, Star etc cinemas has been dug up for reconstruction.

Motorists were diverting to other roads in the vicinity adding further to the traffic load on already overcrowded roads and causing traffic jams.

Responding to Dawn’s queries chief engineer of the project Mohammad Khalid said that the roads — Abdullah Haroon Road, Zaibunnisa Street, Garden Road, Aga Khan III Road etc — staring from Fawwara Chock near Governor House up to Zoological Gardens were being reconstructed.

He said that the Rs643 million project started in January and the entire length of the roads — approximately 8km — is scheduled to be reconstructed by May. He said that owing to the heavy traffic load on these roads and fewer alternative roads available that could be used for diversions, the reconstruction was being done in segments so that the work caused relatively less suffering to the people.

Under the project old sewers and water supply lines were also being replaced. The chief engineer said that the section of road between M.A. Jinnah Road and Garden has been opened for traffic.

Around 300-yard-long portion of one track of the road along the cinemas — Bambino, Star, etc — has been dug up on Monday and old sewerage and water supply pipelines were being replaced. Work on this portion would be completed in next few days after which it would be opened, he added. Later the other track of the road would be closed.

The chief engineer added that afterwards a portion of the road along with BVS School and Electronics Market would be closed for reconstruction. The entire project being implemented in segments was expected to be completed by May.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2018