Sindh government has announced to lay the foundation of Malir Expressway this month however the heavily encroached route may hamper the project.
This is the second mega project under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode by the Sindh government after the Thar Coal project.
Under the project, the Sindh government has decided to link Qayyumabad in Korangi Town to Main Super Highway through Shah Faisal Colony.
However, the 39.4 kilometers long route on which Malir Expressway would be built has become heavily encroached over the years.
There are multiple spots along the bank of the Malir riverine where slums and societies have been established with the alleged connivance of the government officials.
The banks of the Malir riverine have become a permanent dwelling for thousands of families who have been settled there by encroachment mafia.
The banks have been flanked by hundreds of houses.
With the start of the construction work, the Sindh government will face a big challenge in removing unauthorized occupations.
News360 observed during a survey that some 213 acres of land in Defense Housing Authority (DHA) Phase-VII has been occupied by a private housing society where it operates with heavy machinery during wee hours to shrink the width of the natural channel.
This is being allegedly done to fill up the land for a housing society.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited the Malir Expressway route on Thursday.
He announced that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will lay the foundation of the Malir Expressway project in December.
Malir Expressway would be 39.4 kilometers (kms) long while the worth of the project would be more than Rs 27 billion.
It will be constructed on the western side of the Malir riverine.
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Malir Expressway will have a six-lane road while there would be three-feet dual carriage. Its speed design will be 100 km per hour while the speed limit will be 50 km per hour.
The commencing spot of the signal-free corridor will be DHA Creek Avenue on Korangi Road.
It will culminate at Kathore after passing through Jam Sadiq Bridge, Shah Faisal Colony, and Future Colony.
There will be nine pedestrian crossing on the Malir Expressway.