Second section of Lyari Expressway inaugurated

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Federal minister says Sindh government, CDGK’s help sought to get Lyari Expressway project completed soon

KARACHI: We want to complete the Lyari Expressway (LEW) project as soon as possible and to do so we need the cooperation of the Sindh government and the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).

Federal Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan said this at the inauguration ceremony of the second section of the Lyari Expressway Project, from Sir Shah Suleman to Sohrab Goth Interchange (North Bound), held at Sir Shah Suleman Road (interchange), Gharibabad on Saturday. He thanked the Sindh government and CDGK for always extending their help and cooperation.

He added that every year the Lyari River is flooded during rains and many precious lives are lost, besides the destruction of property. He said that the LEW project would provide protection against such floods, besides checking encroachment of the riverbed and banks. He added that the government is taking steps to rehabilitate the people living in Katchi Abadis near LEW and the Lyari River.

This project would provide an efficient link between the Karachi Port and the northern parts of the city, he said. He added that this would improve aesthetics along the Lyari River in general and the river corridor in particular.

The superhighway between Karachi and Hyderabad would be upgraded as a six-lane highway, he said. He said that LEW project costs around Rs 8.5 billion and 70 percent of it has been completed. He added that this project would be a gift for the city.

He added that the government has started mega projects to strengthen the national economy while adding that the work on the National Trade Corridor was ongoing.

Khan thanked the National Highway Authority (NHA), Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), Motorway Police, engineers and all the workers involved in this project for playing an important role and successfully completing work on the northbound part of the project, he said.

In future, the remaining portions of the expressway would be constructed with the mutual efforts of stakeholders involved in the construction of expressway, said NHA Chairman Altaf Ahmed Choudhary.

Choudhary added that very few cities in Asian countries have motor limited access highways. He added that the concept of a motor limited access highway completely applies on the LEW project. He added that the future projects in Karachi would be build according to the standards of this project.

He said that this is an important occasion and significant achievement for the NHA, Ministry of Communications and FWO engineers and contractors. ppi

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