South Asia’s longest 12.5km river bridge under construction in Sindh

Located at the Sindh-Punjab-Balochistan junction, the bridge will cut Indus crossing time from 2.5 hours to 15 mins.

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Pakistan is constructing what will be the longest river bridge in South Asia, the Ghotki-Kandhkot Bridge, spanning 12.5 kilometers across the Indus River in Sindh province. The project, which is expected to be completed by 2028 at an estimated cost of Rs30.5 billion, aims to enhance regional connectivity and spur economic development.

“This is going to be the longest river bridge in the entire South Asian region,” said Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Investment and Public-Private Partnership, during a meeting with members of the business community on Thursday.

Qamar noted that construction work has been in progress for the past two years and is currently advancing at full pace. “We aim to complete and inaugurate the bridge by 2028,” he added.

Strategically located at the tri-junction of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan, the bridge is expected to drastically cut travel time across the Indus from 2.5 hours to just 15 minutes. Beyond improving mobility, it is also seen as a solution to persistent law and order issues and kidnapping incidents in the katcha areas, the underdeveloped low-lying regions near the riverbanks.

“While Ghotki has experienced some industrial development and better road infrastructure, Kandhkot has lagged behind. This bridge will help open up job opportunities and improve livelihoods in Kandhkot,” Qamar said.

During the meeting, Qamar and his team also presented nearly a dozen infrastructure and social sector projects, including roads, schools, hospitals, and special economic zones, with a combined investment potential of over Rs616 billion. The aim, he said, is to attract private sector investment through public-private partnerships.

Prominent business leaders in attendance included MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, KCCI’s Zubair Motiwala, industrialist Arif Habib, and other key stakeholders such as Arif Elahi, Danish Khan, Junaid Naqi, Zahid Saeed, Sameer Chinoy, and Danish Elahi.