KARACHI, Dec 24: The Federal Communication Minister, Shamim Ahmed Siddiqui, has said the Northern Bypass would be completed by March 2006 and the Lyari Expressway by December 2006.

He said an inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the causes of delay in the completion of the Northern Bypass, which was to be completed in December 2005.

The minister accompanied by the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, was talking to journalists at the city government’s secretariat on Saturday.

The minister said that 32 km long parallel roads were being constructed, which would have 14 interchanges and 16 flyovers besides entry and exit routes at different points.

He described encroachments as major impediments in the way of the project.

He pointed out that the project was to be completed in 2004, but encroachments in its way could not be removed by the then city government. As a result, the ministry had to extend the completion period by two years besides incurring a loss of Rs2.70 billion, thereby, increasing the project’s cost to Rs7.70 billion.

The project, he said, was being supervised by the federal government. It was launched to keep the flow of heavy traffic outside the city without any hindrance.

He said 35 percent encroachments still remained to be removed, and if these were removed, the project could be completed on time.

On the occasion, the city nazim assured that the city government would take steps for removing encroachments from the sides of the Lyari River.

Giving details of the Lyari Bypass, Mr Siddiqui informed journalists that the project – Northern Bypass – seemed difficult to be completed even by March 2006 as against its completion in December 2005.

He said there was no visible hindrance in the project’s way but it was still being delayed and an inquiry had been ordered in that regard.

He said the communication ministry would construct a road from the Steel Mills to Thatta and from Thatta to Kotri in the second phase. A contract for the road’s first phase had already been awarded.

He said that work on conversion of the Super Highway, from Karachi to Hyderabad, into a motorway was being awarded on BOT basis and work would start on it in March 2006.

City Nazim Mustafa Kamal told journalists that these projects would serve as milestones in the development of Karachi.

No injustice would be done while removing encroachments for the construction of the Lyari Expressway, he said.—APP