KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday directed the planning and development (P&D) department to devise a solution for easing out traffic congestion at Sohrab Goth.
He also asked the P&D department to include remodelling of the roundabout at Sohrab Goth and improvement of the access roads from the Lyari Expressway, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulshan Chowrangi, Gulshan-i-Maymar and nearby connections.
Mr Shah directed the P&D and local government department to work together and submit a detailed plan along with design structure so that decision could be taken accordingly.
Rs1bn allocated for underpass
The CM allocated Rs1 billion for the construction of an underpass from Korangi Causeway to CBM Road to accommodate traffic from multiple directions.
At a meeting, he reviewed the ongoing construction of the Korangi Causeway Bridge, Shahrah-i-Bhutto, additional works and explored solution of the traffic issue at Sohrab Goth.
The chief minister also approved the proposed design for a centralised roundabout, which will be further refined according to site conditions.
According to a press statement, the meeting, held at the CM House, was attended among others by Ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Nasir Hussain Shah and Saeed Ghani, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Special Assistant Qasim Naveed, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, P&D Chairman Najam Shah, Local Government Secretary Khalid Haider Shah, Additional IG Karachi Javed Alam Odho, Transport Secretary Asad Zamin and Shahrah-i-Bhutto Project Director Niaz Soomro.
The local government minister presented a briefing on the Korangi Causeway project, estimated to cost Rs9.3bn.
The briefing noted that the construction of the bridge and its associated loops was currently underway, and development at the 3000 Korangi Intersection was also part of this project.
Regarding Shahrah-i-Bhutto, the chief minister approved the technical clearance for a flyover near Sammo Goth, along with other connecting roads.
He instructed the P&D department to finalise the necessary approvals within a week and to begin the construction immediately.
Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2025
