Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is all set to inaugurate the 75-kilometre completed section of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) on Friday (today). The National Assembly Standing Committee on Communication in its last meeting had recommended that it would be appropriate if the said project is inaugurated after its completion.
However, Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Shahid Ashraf Tarar stated that according to the built-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement, after the completion of 65 kilometres section, it can be opened that is why the Prime Minister is going to inaugurate it. According to the agreement, the existing four-lane Karachi-Hyderabad Super Highway will be converted into six-lane motorway of international standard.
The M-9 is a 136-km long 6-lane motorway connecting the cities of Hyderabad and Karachi. The project is a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which would be completed at a cost of about Rs 36 billion.
The contract has been awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for 25 years on built-operate-transfer (BoT) basis.
According to the NHA spokesperson, the 75-km completed section of M-9 has four interchanges, including Dada Bhoy Interchange, Industrial Valley Interchange, Nooriabad Interchange and Thano Bola Khan Interchange. These interchanges will provide access to various areas including Kirthar National Park, Jhimpir, Keenjhar Lake and Thano Ahmad Khan. In addition, five bridges and two trauma centres at Nooriabad and Damba Goth have been completed.
The 136-kilometre Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway project commenced on September 17, 2015 is expected to be completed by October 2017 at a cost Rs 36 billion.
The NHA had earlier awarded the M-9 project at a cost of Rs 24.93 billion to a Malaysian construction company, Bina Puri Holdings, on built-operate-transfer (BOT) basis in 2012; however, later the agreement was cancelled, as both of the parties accused each other of not fulfilling commitments.
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