Rs 12.2 billion Lyari Expressway to be completed in 21/2 years

Federal Minister for Communications Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil on Friday said that Lyari Express Way (LEW), costing Rs 12.2 billion, will be completed within the next two-and-a-half years which will minimise traffic load in Karachi. The Minister said this while talking to media after his visit to the LEW along with the Chairman and members of the Senate's Standing Committee on Communications.
Chairman of Senate body, Senator Wali Muhammad Badeni, its other members, Federal Secretary Communications Anwar Ahmad Khan, Member Construction NHA Aurangzeb Khan, DIG Motorway Police Waliullah Dal and other high officials were also present on the occasion.
Briefing the Federal Minister and members of the Senate Standing Committee, GM LEW Tufail Ahmad Sheikh said that work on the project is underway at full pace and all out efforts are being to ensure timely completion. On this occasion, an FWO representative also gave a thorough briefing on the project.
He said the LEW would minimise traffic load on Karachi and it would run smoothly round the clock. It will have four interchanges from which link roads will be connected to the adjoining areas. He said that a 4-kilometre service road near Mirza Adam Khan was also a part of this project. Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan said that because of its central location, the Expressway was very important for Karachi and with its completion, a longstanding demand of the people would be fulfilled.
Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan said that now the road was being used by 80 percent of the traffic. The Minister said that he had a detailed visit of Karachi and Sindh last week, on the instructions of President Asif Ali Zardari to review progress on all NHA projects in the province.
He informed that he had instructed the contractors to strictly follow international standards and complete the projects within stipulated time. Arbab Alamgir Khan assured the members of the Standing Committee that the present democratic government wants to fulfil all its promises and expressed his resolve that the NHA projects will surely be completed in-time.
The Minister also said that despite shortage of funds, record development works had been done under Communications and delay in some of the projects had been caused due to recent floods in the country and shortage of funds. The Chairman and members of the Standing Committee expressed their satisfaction over the progress of the project and urged early completion of the under-construction portions of Lyari Express Way.