Karachi: Signal-Free Corridor-III will greatly improve traffic flow: Kamal

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Irfan Aligi
KARACHI: Talking exclusively with Daily Times, prior to his departure to Houston, USA, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has highlighted the features and benefits of the Signal-Free Corridor-III, which will be constructed at a total cost of Rs 2.25 billion.
The total length of the corridor will be 16.7 km, the width of the roads will be 13.85 meters, with four lanes and two service roads on each side. The corridor will further comprise of 23 bus stops and 10 pedestrian bridges and will be provided electricity using 12-metre high poles and a drain will be made using an inlet chamber. He said that the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) is trying to provide relief to the people of the city by developing the Signal Free Corridor-III, which is aimed at improving the traffic flow in the city.
Kamal, while explaining the theory for erecting mega structures such as the signal free corridors, said that frequent traffic jams on various points at MA Jinnah Road have been brutally testing the nerves of the people for the past 40 years and during the summers the people face even more problems, especially those who travel in buses and coaches.
Even after constructing underpasses and flyovers, a lot was left to be done to ease the flow of traffic, as at least, 600 cars travel on the roads recklessly. The basic problem is that neither the MA Jinnah Road nor Sharah-e-Faisal can be expanded nor are there are any alternate routes that can be utilised. Therefore, the only way out was to construct as many under passes, flyovers and signal free corridors in the city as possible.
“We have made two signal free corridors and now will add the third corridor, which will really be a milestone in the history of the city,” said Kamal.
He added that the construction of the double track Preedy Street will cost Rs 203 million and it will be completed in six months. The length of the street will be 2.20-km and it will have a width of 52 to 58 feet. Kamal went on to say that, the Signal Free Corridor-III will link the main city centre to the suburban areas of Gulistan-e-Jauhar. It will start from Preedy Street in Saddar Town and will lead to Safura Goth via the new MA Jinnah Road to University Road.
The corridor-III project, consisting of four flyovers including one at Jail Chowrangi, one at NIPA with an elevated u-turn, one at Abul Hassan Esphahani Road and one at Samama Shopping Centre, will provide immediate relief to more than two million citizens. A double track road will be built from Saddar Dawa Khana to Preedy Street to Quaid’s Mausoleum to Jail Chowrangi.
The construction of an interchange at Jail Chowrangi will cost Rs 951.79 million and will be completed in six months. The bridge portion will measure 212 meters, while the left and right side loops will measure 152 meters and 202 meters, respectively. There will be four up ramps, including a ramp measuring 192 meters at Shaheed-e-Millat Road, 152 meters at Kashmir Road, 248 meters at PIB Colony and 200 meters at University Road.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...09_pg12_10