KARACHI: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has informed a high-level meeting that the Lyari Expressway may be opened for heavy traffic during off-peak hours.

The meeting was held between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Communication Minister Abdul Aleem Khan at the CM House on Monday to discuss major infrastructure projects, including the M-6 motorway connecting Karachi port via Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway, national highways, Jamshoro-Sehwan Road and Lyari Expressway.

The CM was assisted among others by Senior Minister Shar jeel Memon, Planning & Development Minister Nasir Shah, Works Minister Ali Hassan Zardari, Chief SecretaryAsif Hyder Shah, P&D chairman Najam Shah and Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi.

The federal government delegation included Communication Secretary Ali Sher Mehsud, NHA Chairman Sahibzada Sheharyar, NHA members Mazhar Shah, Abdul Latif Mahesar, Ramesh Alias and others.

According to a press statement, the CM told the federal minister that the Lyari Expressway was aimed at connecting port traffic to the motorway, which had not been realised because the NHAhad categorised it as a track for light traffic.

The NHA informed the meeting that a third-party audit had declared the Lyari Expressway unsuitable for heavy traffic.

However, they suggested allowing heavy traffic during off-peak hours.

The NHA, responding to the chief minister`s suggestion, agreed to improve interchanges.

The CM highlighted the traffic bottleneck at Sohrab Goth, where local and port traffic from the Lyari Expressway converge.

He proposed constructing a dedicated service road to separate city traffic from the traffic coming from the Lyari Expressway.

The meeting decided to implement an engineering solution to resolve traffic congestion at Sohrab Goth.

M-6 Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway Emphasising the importance of completing the M-6 Motorway, the chief minister saidthat without connecting the Karachi Port to the rest of the country through a motorway, the purpose of this entire network remained unfulfilled.

He expressed disappointment over delays in the M-6 project despite its approval under the prime minister`s directives.

Federal Minister Aleem Khan told the CM that the M-6 project had been divided into five sections, with funding for three sections secured and work on the remaining section ongoing.

He stated that the project was being financed by the federal government, commercial banks and some sections on a publicprivate partnership basis.

The chief minister offered bridge financing of Rs40 to 50 billion from the Sindh government to expedite the project.

The federal minister assured the CM that work would start in September.

The CM and the federal minister agreed to engage their respective teams to assess if there is any need for bridge financing to fast track the project.

Jamshoro-Sehwan Road The CM told the meeting that the Jamshoro-Sehwan Road, a 66-kilometre Industrial Highway, had not been completed by the NHA despite the payment of Rs7 billion in 2017.

The federal minister said that the 66-km Sehwan to Manjhad had been completed while work on the 24-km stretch from Manjhad to Khanot had commenced.

M-10 Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway The meeting also reviewed the proposed M-10 New Motorway project from Karachi to Hyderabad. The planned route will connect the ICI Bridge, KPT, Gulbai, and Hub Chowki directly to Hyderabad.

It was decided that full planning for the project would be carried out to ensure its execution. The motorway is expected to divert heavy and port traffic directly to Hyderabad, alleviating congestion within Karachi.

Media talk Talking to the media later, the federal communication minister stated that the construction of the motorways in Sindh was a top priority of the federal government.

He announced that the M-6 and M-10 motorways would be launched simultaneously. `The M-6 is Pakistan`s lifeline which was unfortunately neglected by previous governments,` he added.

Highlighting the significance of the M-6 Project, the federal minister shared that it was a nearly Rs400 billion initiative comprising five sections, each approximately of 60-km long.

`There is no better opportunity for investment than this project,` he pointed out.

Abdul Aleem Khan said that financing had already been secured for two sections while discussions for the remaining three are ongoing. `Insha`Allah, we will finalise the feasibility report and present it to the prime minister within the next 15 days,` he added.