Karachi Expressway from Port to Qayyumabad Approved
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved the Karachi expressway, a 16.5-kilometre four-lane road linking Karachi Port with Qayyumabad, in a project that will run on a public-private partnership.
The Karachi expressway will connect Shahrah-e-Bhutto to the East Wharf of Karachi Port, with access on the corridor kept under control. The approval came at the 53rd meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Board, chaired by the chief minister.
The contract will run for 27.5 years, covering 2.5 years of construction and 25 years of operation and maintenance. The project will follow a design, finance, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer model, which means the private partner builds the road, runs it for the contract period and then hands it back.
Karachi expressway to ease port traffic
Karachi Port handles the bulk of Pakistan’s trade, and the roads around it carry heavy truck traffic every day. The new corridor should give port traffic a direct route to Shahrah-e-Bhutto, cutting the load on city roads and shortening the trip for goods moving in and out of the port.
Controlled access matters here. With entry points limited, the expressway can keep traffic moving at a steady speed instead of slowing at every junction. That is the point of a port corridor: to move freight fast and keep heavy vehicles off streets built for local traffic.
The board also discussed a proposal to bring in an Infrastructure Real Estate Investment Trust in place of Class A equity in the project company. The trust would let investors hold a stake in the project through a listed vehicle. Matters linked to the Karachi Port Trust licence agreement and the issue of a final no-objection certificate were also discussed.
Riverbank works and Shahrah-e-Bhutto links
The chief minister also approved works to protect the riverbanks along the Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway. The works include underwater protective embankments, an extra loop and ramp at Memon Goth Interchange No. 5, and the fitting of street lights.
Shahrah-e-Bhutto is the city’s main east-west expressway, and the new corridor plugs directly into it. That link should spread the benefit beyond the port, giving traffic from the eastern districts a faster way to reach the harbour and the industrial areas around it.
The project has drawn criticism before. Civil society groups rejected the Karachi Port elevated corridor in October, raising concerns about its effect on nearby communities. The government will need to answer those concerns as construction moves ahead, including questions about land, access for local residents and the toll that drivers will pay.
The chief minister has also ordered an end to the water shortage in Karachi and Hyderabad, another long-running problem for the city. Karachi’s anti-encroachment drive has fallen flat, the mayor was told, showing how hard it is to clear space for new works. A counterfeit cooking oil factory was sealed in Karachi, one of several recent enforcement actions in the city.
No start date for construction has been announced yet. The next steps are the final no-objection certificate, the licence agreement with the port trust and the close of financing. Once those are in place, the 2.5-year construction clock can start.
ProPakistani reported the approval on Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Karachi Port to Qayyumabad expressway?
It is a 16.5-kilometre four-lane expressway linking Karachi Port with Qayyumabad. It will connect Shahrah-e-Bhutto to the East Wharf of Karachi Port, with controlled access.
Who approved the Karachi expressway project?
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah approved it at the 53rd meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Board, which he chaired.
How long will the project contract run?
The contract period is 27.5 years, made up of 2.5 years of construction and 25 years of operation and maintenance under a design, finance, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer model.
What else was approved at the meeting?
The chief minister also approved riverbank protection works along the Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway, including underwater embankments, a new loop and ramp at Memon Goth Interchange No. 5, and street lights.
When will construction start?
No start date has been announced. The final no-objection certificate, the Karachi Port Trust licence agreement and the close of financing must come first.
