KARACHI: Engro, widely regarded as one of the largest conglomerates of Pakistan, renovated the iconic PIDC Bridge in Karachi which serves as an important connection to the MT Khan Road.

The bridge has been refurbished in collaboration with the Government of Sindh and was inaugurated by Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, the Advisor to Chief Minister of Sindh and the newly instated Administrator for Karachi, in presence of Ghias Khan, President Engro Corporation, Ahsan Zafar Syed, CEO Engro Energy Limited and other members of the Engro leadership team on the eve of country's 74th Independence Day.

The PIDC Bridge also known as the Chand Mari or Lovers Bridge has its history dating back to the pre-partition times and played a significant role in the development of Karachi city in its nascent colonial days. The Bridge was first constructed when railways was introduced in the city and was meant to provide a link between the then newly constructed warehouses and the commercial centre, today it continues to provide an arterial connection for vehicular traffic in the city.

The current renovation was designed and executed in collaboration with the Government of Sindh and CGD Consulting who also happened to have designed and launched the renovated Jahangir Park. The designers referred to historical data and pictures to restore some old features of the bridge to give it a retro feel and look. The newly refurbished PIDC Bridge now boasts of balustrades, beautiful protective parapets, and Victorian era inspired lamp posts as their marked architectural feature.

While inaugurating and visiting the PIDC Bridge, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab said: "There are a handful of pre-partition bridges in Karachi that are still going strong and have tremendous cultural significance. This hard-wearing bridge has been renovated by the Government of Sindh through a public-private partnership in an attempt to modernise and beautify the city of Karachi.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021