Bilawal lays foundation stone of Malir Expressway

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari laid the foundation stone of the Rs28 billion Malir Expressway project on Thursday.

Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said: “We have laid the foundation of another mega project for Karachi, which will benefit the port city’s businessmen and people.”

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the project that is being undertaken under the public-private partnership will cost Rs28 billion, out of which the Sindh government will pay Rs4 billion.

He said the provincial government had been getting ready for the launch of the project for the past three and a half years but it got delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the next phase, he added, the Malir Expressway will be linked to the Karachi port.

Malir Expressway that will begin from Jam Sadiq Bridge Zero Point and end at Kathore Bridge will be built with an estimated cost of Rs27billion rupees and facilitate commuting between DHA Phase-VIII and Phase-IX within 20 minutes.

The Sindh government is launching this mega project, with 39.4 kilometers length, under the Public Private Partnership. Malir Expressway will be built on the left bank of the Malir River and it will be high-speed expressway, with six-lane road and three feet dual carriageway, Murad Ali Shah stated. The project have speed design of 100-kilometers per hour, he further said.