KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah asked federal government to hand over Lyari Expressway to provincial government so that it can be open for heavy traffic.

Presiding over joint meeting of National Highway Authority and provincial Works and Services to review progress of various road sector projects being executed by NHA he said that substantial completion of M9-N5 Link Road Project was achieved in July 2023, with 7.2km out of total 21km of road open for traffic with partial toll. Remaining work, construction of Interchange at M9, was initially under scope of Sindh government.

“After detailed discussions, NHA told Sindh government that it [NHA] is bound to get any new infrastructure development inside Right of Way of M-9.

Subsequently, MoU was signed at approximate cost including escalation charges and NHA charges between Works Department and NHA for construction of an Interchange at M9 for Rs3.5 billion in February 2024.

Murad urged NHA to revisit cost of M9 interchange as provincial government has to bear huge burden as cost is exorbitantly high.

At this, NHA chairman assured CM that his technical team would reconsider construction cost. Discussing project, CM said that National Highway Authority handed over Karachi-Thatta-Hyderabad section (N-5) to Sindh government in January 2012.

CM urged NHA to de-federalised Karachi-Thatta-Hyderabad Section (N-5), as government of Sindh constructed dual carriageway at Section (N-5) from Karachi to Thatta for Rs 8.2 billion under Public Private Partnership and was unable to collect project revenues such as commercial revenues, issue NOCs to utility providers etc.  He said that work on 130 km Jamshoro-Sehwan road was started by NHA in 2018-19.

Initially, it was an asset of NHA but Sindh government has also contributed Rs 7 billion in its rehabilitation.

He said that Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge connectivity at N5 and N55 project encompasses two main components, namely main project highway, including 12.2km long bridge over River Indus, commencing from Ghotki (N-5) and concluding at Kandhkot (N-55). Other component is Thull Link Road, starting from N-55 and terminating at Jacobabad Road.

He said that work on 67.40km from Umerkot to Khokhrapar was in progress and being executed by NHA. Mirpurkhas to Raja Rasti road 65km completed. He raised issue that road from Raja Rasti to Umerkot 16km has been abandoned. City portion of Umerkot, 0.63 km was also unattended.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 08 2024

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