Signal free corridor-III likely to start by year end

Karachi: Nazim Karachi Syed, Mustafa Kamal said that the construction of two flyovers and an elevated U-turn at Signal Free Corridor-III would start before December this year with an estimated cost of Rs 1800 million.

City Government would present the gift of third signal free corridor-III to Karachiites by completing these projects within a very short period, Nazim Karachi said, at a high level meeting held at Civic Centre here.

Nazim Karachi said that the third signal free corridor from Saddar to Safoora Goth would also be covered through video cameras linked with the command and control centre, therefore the expenditures incurred in this head may also be added in the PC-I of the project.

He also directed the officers to submit the PC-I and complete design of development projects of this corridor including a flyover each at the Jail Chowrangi and Shamama Shopping Mall and an elevated U-turn near Abul Hasan Ispahani road within five days so that the work could be started soon.

City Nazim observed that the Jail Chowrangi acts as a main junction to traffic coming from different directions including Shaheed-e-Millat road, New MA Jinnah road, Kashmir road and University road, therefore, the designing of the proposed flyover at this busy junction should be done in such a manner that the passing traffic could have hurdle free journey.

He also instructed the officers of Works and Services Department to take necessary measures for making Nipa Chowrangi as signal free while the traffic moving to Gulistan-e-Jauhar from Shamama Shopping Mall should also be made signal free through flyover.

The representatives of consultant firms on this occasion delivered a presentation of all three projects through site plans and multimedia.

The meeting was informed that the design of the flyover at Jail Chowrangi has already been completed under which the traffic from University Road to New MA Jinnah road would use the existing track while the traffic from Jail road to Shaheed-e-Millat road would use the flyover and the Kashmir road will be linked with flyover through a loop. The elevated U-turn which would make the Nipa Chowrangi signal free will be at University road before the start of Abul Hasan Ispahani road.

The traffic from Sohrab Goth to Hasan Square and from Hasan Square to Rashid Minhas road would use this overhead U-turn. It was also informed that the project of the construction of a flyover for the traffic going to Gulistan-e-Jauhar from Shamama Shopping Mall has also been finalised. Furthermore, Nazim Karachi, Syed Mustafa Kamal said that signal free corridor-III would also be used as an alternate to MA Jinnah road and Sharea-e- Faisal and this would also provide a direct route from Preedy Street to University road for commuters.

He expressed hope that the completion of this corridor would decrease the pressure of traffic at Sharea-e-Faisal and MA Jinnah road. City Nazim said that considering the importance of the Jail Chowrangi junction it was decided to start work on these projects as soon as possible. He also warned that the quality of all these projects would not be compromised; therefore the consultants should suggest the names of renowned construction firms.

Nazim Karachi said that as a policy it has been decided that PC-l for all future projects of roads would also include the expenditures incurred on the installation of video cameras linked with the central command and control system . The meeting was also attended by DCO Karachi Javed Hanif, officers of works and services department and representatives of consultant firms.