ghazi52
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KARACHI: The National highway Authority (NHA) has placed a total restriction on heavy traffic passing through the recently constructed Lyari Expressway.
This expressway, inaugurated by President Musharraf , was specifically designed for heavy traffic but currently instructions have strictly prohibited its use by even rickshaws, motorcycles or buses.
When contacted regarding these directives, the NHA Sindh Director, Yousaf Barkazai, hesitantly confirmed the restriction of heavy traffic. However, he assured that this was temporary, until the completion of the other track.
It has been clarified that this expressway will not be solely dedicated to heavy traffic, but nevertheless heavy traffic from the port has been advised to take the Northern Bypass.
It is pertinent to note that the sixteen-and-a-half-kilometer long expressway cost Rs 8.22 billion and after a year long construction schedule, only one track has been made operational, with the other track still under construction.
The construction of the Lyari expressway entailed relocation of more than 24,000 families from the construction site (Maripur till Sohrab Goth) to areas such as Hawkes Bay, Taisar and Baldia towns. The northern sites are still waiting to be bulldozed and relocated. The entire relocation and bulldozing process has so far cost Rs 4.25 billion.
The speeding on the expressway has been limited to 80 MPH, and the engineers and experts have expressed their reservations over the restriction of heavy traffic on the expressway, specifically built with Iranian assistance for such traffic after displacing multitude of homes and relocating many suburbs.
Experts have expressed the possibility of failure if only light traffic is allowed on the expressway. The heavy traffic will have to take the longer route of the Northern Bypass and it will take 20 to 30 minutes to reach the super highway alone.
This expressway, inaugurated by President Musharraf , was specifically designed for heavy traffic but currently instructions have strictly prohibited its use by even rickshaws, motorcycles or buses.
When contacted regarding these directives, the NHA Sindh Director, Yousaf Barkazai, hesitantly confirmed the restriction of heavy traffic. However, he assured that this was temporary, until the completion of the other track.
It has been clarified that this expressway will not be solely dedicated to heavy traffic, but nevertheless heavy traffic from the port has been advised to take the Northern Bypass.
It is pertinent to note that the sixteen-and-a-half-kilometer long expressway cost Rs 8.22 billion and after a year long construction schedule, only one track has been made operational, with the other track still under construction.
The construction of the Lyari expressway entailed relocation of more than 24,000 families from the construction site (Maripur till Sohrab Goth) to areas such as Hawkes Bay, Taisar and Baldia towns. The northern sites are still waiting to be bulldozed and relocated. The entire relocation and bulldozing process has so far cost Rs 4.25 billion.
The speeding on the expressway has been limited to 80 MPH, and the engineers and experts have expressed their reservations over the restriction of heavy traffic on the expressway, specifically built with Iranian assistance for such traffic after displacing multitude of homes and relocating many suburbs.
Experts have expressed the possibility of failure if only light traffic is allowed on the expressway. The heavy traffic will have to take the longer route of the Northern Bypass and it will take 20 to 30 minutes to reach the super highway alone.
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