M-10 motorway study near completion

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs was informed on Thursday that the feasibility study for the M-10 Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway is in its final stages and is expected to be completed by December.

The lower house panel was chaired by MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig.

The officials told the committee that the project would cost over Rs68 billion and was seen as a long-term solution to Karachi's traffic congestion. Work is also underway on the technical feasibility of the Lyari Expressway, while procurement for the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway project has already been initiated, with construction expected to begin by June next year. During the briefing, National Highway Authority (NHA) officials said any project could only be included in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) through the federal budget, adding that the budget-making process would begin in March.

The committee sought a response from NHA officials on its recommendation to include the Lyari Elevated Freight Corridor (LEFC) in the PSDP.

The NHA informed the committee that financing for the LEFC project was already being secured by another institution through the Korean Exim Bank, while the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) was also working on the same project. "Since the project was found feasible, we shifted our focus towards the Northern Bypass," the NHA officials said.

Committee Chairman Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said they would take up the issue of LEFC project with KPT and report back. He noted that land acquisition for the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway remained a complicated issue since provincial governments were also involved. He said the committee would add a separate note on the matter.

Separately, the committee was informed that repair works on the Mirpurkhas-Umerkot road had been completed, while approval for the Ranipur-Umerkot road project had also been granted. A committee member inquired about the timeline for its commencement.