Partial section of Malir Expressway in Karachi opens to traffic

The Sindh government has inaugurated the partial 9.1-kilometre section of the Malir Expressway, which is part of a larger 39-kilometre project expected to be completed in 2025.

The project was officially opened by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), who attended the ceremony with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other senior officials of the PPP, Express News reported.

This new expressway, which runs from Qayyumabad to Shah Faisal, has been named the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway in honour of the late PPP leader.

The expressway, once fully operational, is expected to alleviate traffic congestion on Karachi's roads, providing a direct connection to key industrial zones and the city’s existing road network.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah described the Malir Expressway as the largest public-private partnership infrastructure project in the province and the country.

He explained that the project’s total cost is approximately 55 billion rupees, with the Sindh government contributing around 32 billion rupees. Commercial banks, development finance institutions, and the public-private partnership have jointly funded the remaining 23 billion rupees.

The 39-km stretch of the Malir Expressway will begin at Korangi Creek Avenue and extend all the way to Malir River.

Upon completion, it will serve as an alternative route to Shahrah-e-Faisal and link to the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) near Kathore. This road will significantly reduce the traffic burden on Karachi's congested urban roads.

Murad Ali Shah further emphasised that once the expressway is fully operational by 2025, it will provide faster and more efficient access to industrial zones, thus boosting the economic activity in the region.