KARACHI, Jan 10: The Banaras flyover will be opened for vehicular traffic in a couple of days as construction work on the muchdelayed project has been completed, it was officially announced on Tuesday.

The flyover, meant to link North Nazimabad with the sprawling Orangi, Qasba and other adjoining localities, was scheduled to be completed about two years ago but the work had to be suspended off and on due to various reasons that included a law and order situation around the project site, alterations in the original design and paucity of funds.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Administrator Mohammad Hussain Syed, who along with director-general of technical services Altaf G. Memon, senior health director Dr Shaukat Zaman and KMC district west official Nazeer Lakhani visited the flyover and Shahrah-iNoorjehan storm-water drainage projects on Tuesday, was informed by the officials concerned that the two-kilometre-long flyover having two 24-27-metre-wide tracks had been constructed at a cost of RsL2 billion.

The officials said that the remaining work including construction of at-grade roads (running parallel to it), repairing and beautification of the Abdullah College roundabout and replacement of a 24-inch dia pipeline, would take another six months to complete. They said the provincial government had provided Rs700 mil-lion for the remaining work.

TheBanarasnyoverhas862 pillars and 350 girders, they said, adding that the ground levelling and dressing of roads underneath the flyover had already been initiated.

Describing it as the longest flyover of the country, Mr Memon said that all the remaining work would be completed within the stipulated time.

The administrator called for completing the repair work and shifting of pipelines up to the Abdullah College roundabout within the next 10 days.

He said that work on five flyovers on Shahrah-i-Pakistan one each at the Dak Khana, Ayesha Manzil and Water Pump traffic intersections as part of the signal-free corridor connecting Shahrah-iPakistan with the Karachi airport's Jinnah Terminal would also start shortly along side the three underpasses planned to be built at Shaheen Complex, PIDC House and Mehran Hotel.

About the ongoing development works at Shahrah-iNoorjehan and Shahrah-iQadhafi, he said that all the hurdles in the execution of the projects had been removed. Both the projects would be completed within the current year while the construction of Shershah Suri Road would be completed by the end of this month.

Mr Syed asked the officials concerned to immediately remove all encroachments to clear the road leading to Manghopir.