Interim CM vows to remove bottlenecks in Malir Expressway project

If the bottlenecks in the Malir Expressway project are not removed, the banks financing the project may put on hold their commitment, which will escalate the cost of the project manifold.

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar made this remark on Wednesday as he visited the under-construction expressway.

He said he would talk to the Pakistan Railways, K-Electric and Ministry of Defence for the removal of all the bottlenecks in the Malir Expressway project.

The CM was accompanied by Sindh Caretaker Environment Minister Arshad Wali Mohammad, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif and other officers.

Malir Expressway Project Director Niaz Soomro informed the CM that the work on the project started on May 12, 2022, with a completion period of 30 months.

The expressway is a 38.661-kilometre-long corridor connecting Jam Sadiq Bridge with Kathore M-9. The design speed of the project is 100 kilometres per hour and its width is 30.9km.

The Malir Expressway is a six-lane project with a 100-metre right of way. It will have six interchanges and two toll plazas.

The progress on the project’s segment from Jam Sadiq interchange to Quiadabad has been 59.8 per cent while the other segment from Quiadabad to the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway has been 14.4 per cent complete.

The CM was told that the work on the Jam Sadiq interchange was initially planned to start on May 14, 2022, but due to various impediments such as the KE and Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit project interventions, the development activities could not commence as planned.

Justice (retd) Baqar was told that after several meetings with the Yellow Line authorities, the design was finalised and agreed upon by all the concerned quarters. He was told that the removal of KE installations crossing over Jam Sadiq Bridge was still pending, due to non-payment of expenses by the Sindh government.

It was said that despite a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the ministry of defence, the Strategic Plans Division was not allowing the work even though the elevated structure was at a safe distance.

At this, the CM said he would personally talk to the SPD authorities to settle the issue. The project director informed the CM that 40 per cent of the work on EBM Interchange, and 45 per cent on Shah Faisal Interchange had been achieved.

The CM was told that an NOC from the railway department for the Quaidabad interchange was awaited. The execution of the Quaidabad interchange work was initially planned to commence on May 24,2022, but due to the non-issuance of the NOC from the railway department, the contractor could not fulfil the obligations.

The CM was told that the project had been started after around 65 per cent of the funds for the project were borrowed from the banks. If the work on the project kept lingering, the banks would shy away from financing the project.

The interim CM directed the project director and Sindh Transport Secretary Asad Zamin to prepare a brief for him for each impediment to the completion of the project so that he could talk to the authorities concerned in order to speed up work on the project.