The delayed construction of Lyari Expressway North Bound Track is resulting in an increase in city traffic congestion, officials at City District Government Karachi (CDGK) told Business Recorder, here on Wednesday. Officials at CDGK Transport Department told that despite the construction of corridors and flyovers, the traffic congestion could not be curtailed due to sluggish construction activity at Lyari Expressway a major transport project.
The official said that the completed South Bound Track of Lyari Expressway starting from Super Highway to Mauripur Road cannot cope with the huge volume of traffic it has to facilitate. Officials said that the South Bound track become increasingly congested during morning due to uni-direction movement of traffic towards the south, whereas, in the evening the traffic coming from south has just two or three routes ie M.A Jinnah Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal to reach their destinations, increasing the traffic volume on these main arteries, significantly.
The official said that if the North Bound Track is constructed, a huge portion of this traffic would be diverted, while reducing traffic congestion. The CDGK Department official said that we have suggested to the National Highway Authority (NHA), the authority responsible for the construction and maintenance of Lyari Expressway that if the authority is facing financial shortfall or other issues than on temporary basis the South Bound Track should be converted into a bi-directional track.
The official said that under the proposal the traffic would move southwards in morning, whereas moving northwards in the evening. The method would reduce traffic congestion and travel time, the officials said. However, the NHA has considered the move unsafe as it may lead to traffic accidents, the officials informed.
The official also said that at present there are 4 interchange points at Lyari Expressway, which are insufficient. The official suggested that exits should be built at Tennhatti and Nazimabad, it would ease the public and private traffic significantly, the official said.