KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has ordered resumption of work on the project of Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge over River Indus, which was suspended due to flood and other issues.
Presiding over a high-level meeting at the CM House on Thursday on the project’s progress, he said: “I will personally visit the bridge site in November and assign the (relevant) minister to keep reviewing its progress so that the project can be completed within the next one and a half years.”
At the outset, the CM stated that the Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge will be the longest bridge on the River Indus, spanning 12.15km, with approach roads of 10.40km on the Ghotki side and 8.10km on the Kandhkot side. A 4.548 km Thul link road is also part of the project.
The works department reported that the Ghotki and Kandhkot approach roads as well as the Thul link road have been completed. Three bridges on Jari Wah, Ghota Feeder Canal and Tibbi Minor have also been constructed. All the 38 pipe culverts of the bridge have been completed, while construction work on 379 piles out of 732 has also been finished. However, work is currently suspended due to high-flood levels in the river.
Murad Shah directed the department to resume full-scale construction work in November, once floodwaters receded. He also instructed the home minister to ensure stringent security at the bridge site from November onwards.
“This bridge is not just an engineering feat, it will also serve as a landmark project for Pakistan’s economy, regional connectivity and public convenience,” the chief minister said, adding that it will provide a vital link between Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.
The project being executed by the works department is expected to transform regional trade, transport and socio-economic activity by easing connectivity across three provinces.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Ziaul Hassan Lanjar and Haji Ali Hassan Zardari, Special Assistant to CM Syed Qasim Naveed, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Secretary Works Nawaz Sohu, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin and other senior officials.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025
