Korangi Expressway, one of the main corridors of the metropolitan city, is in a derelict condition as it was scrubbed for repairs but left halfway.
The dusty and rutted expressway has turned into a 'stress-way', a perturbed commuter said. Motorists have to suffer for hours when caught up in traffic logjams on this link.
Korangi Expressway has become a source of pain and suffering for citizens, which is a testament to the poor strategy and lack of planning of the Sindh government. Hundreds of thousands of people use this road for commuting to and from Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Korangi, while countless citizens also use this road to access the industrial area. There is no alternative route to this most crucial passage.
The construction of the Expressway was delayed due to the damage caused by the recent rains. It took several months to straighten the upper track, but a large part of the upper track, from Baloch Colony to Qayyumabad Chowrangi, has yet not been carpeted, which disrupts traffic flow.
Citizens are surprised that the process of building road kerbs has been started even though the upper track has yet not been asphalted. Moreover, a stretch of road between Qayyumabad and Baloch Colony has been consigned to oblivion.
Dug up to lay a drain beyond Iqra University on Qayyumabad-Baloch Colony, the track has been filled with soil. Going forward, the sign of this broken road also disappears in the surrounding soil.
Taking advantage of the dilapidated road, muggers rob motorists and motorcyclists stuck in traffic snarl-ups at night.
Korangi Expressway is a thoroughfare for bureaucrats, politicians and industrialists of Sindh who use this road to go from DHA to Shahrah Faisal.
Due to this, accidents often happen. People passing Korangi Expressway on motorcycles, especially those travelling with children and families, have to risk their lives as visibility is reduced due to dust clouds around them. In this way, citizens of every class, the rich and the poor, are equally troubled by this problem.
The furniture market traders on the Korangi Expressway are also worried about this situation. Due to traffic jams and bad road conditions, buyers avoid the market, affecting their business badly. Furniture traders say that the valuable furniture kept in their showrooms is getting damaged due to the dust.
The laboriously planted trees on the Expressway, which used to offer a picturesque sight during rains, have dried up due to the dust.
The citizens have appealed to the Sindh government to ensure the immediate reconstruction of the Korangi Expressway and to take strict action against the officers and concerned persons who are delaying the construction of the road by their negligence.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2022.
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