Karachi mayor approves Rs4.2bn for rehabilitation of four major roads

KARACHI: Karachi’s city government has approved a Rs4.2 billion road rehabilitation plan aimed at overhauling four critical transport corridors, marking one of the largest municipal road upgrades approved this year, according to Dawn.

The plan was cleared at a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) meeting chaired by Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who called for swift execution to address worsening congestion and infrastructure decay.

The roads selected for the upgrade, Rashid Minhas Road, Pehalwan Goth Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road and S.M. Taufiq Road, serve as major commuter links but have deteriorated due to years of heavy traffic, weak drainage and repeated utility cuts.

Budget documents show Rs1.9bn earmarked for Pehalwan Goth Road, Rs1.12bn for Rashid Minhas Road, Rs574m for Sir Shah Suleman Road and Rs429m for S.M. Taufiq Road.

Officials said the scope of work goes beyond resurfacing. The project includes sewerage rehabilitation, lane re-engineering, green belts and road safety improvements, aimed at making the corridors functional rather than just visually improved.

Mayor Wahab stressed that Karachi could no longer afford “half-solutions” to its traffic problems. He directed departments to fast-track tendering and construction, warning that delays would not be tolerated.

KMC Financial Adviser Gulzar Abro said funding has been arranged and administrative approvals completed, clearing the way for contractors to move in.

The mayor said the project is being executed with the support of the Sindh government, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership wants visible improvements in Karachi’s urban infrastructure.

In parallel, Wahab inaugurated the newly completed Raheem Bux Soomro Road in Gulzar-i-Hijri, built at a cost of Rs104 million, calling it a model for neighborhood-level development.

He also shared updates on other projects, saying Jahangir Road rehabilitation will start soon, the Baloch Colony Expressway is close to completion, and the Karimabad Underpass will open to traffic in early February.

Officials say the coordinated rollout of major and local projects could ease pressure on Karachi’s overstretched road network, if timelines are met.

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