Work restarts on Karachi's BRT Red Line on University Road: Mayor Wahab
Frontier Works Organisation restarts work at University Road. PHOTO: MURTAZA WAHAB/X
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on Sunday that work on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line on University Road has resumed, with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) restarting construction from today.
“Happy to inform that work on University Road has resumed from today by FWO,” Wahab said in a post on X, adding that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had set a 90-day deadline for the completion of work on the mixed-traffic corridor and drainage system.
Happy to inform that work on the University Road has resumed from today by FWO. CM Sindh has given a deadline to have the work on mixed traffic corridor & drain completed within 90 days. Inshallah will keep you all posted with the progress pic.twitter.com/F1yJArQL0M
Last week, the Sindh government announced the termination of the construction contract for the project in Karachi, citing persistent delays, unsatisfactory performance, and violations of health, safety, and environmental standards.
TransKarachi, in a statement, said decisive action had been taken over slow progress on Lot 2 of the project. "The contract awarded to the CR3 and AMS Associates joint venture was terminated due to continuous delays, non-satisfactory performance, and violations of health, safety, and environmental standards."
Later, the contractor of the project approached the constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court, seeking the de-sealing of the construction site after the provincial government sealed the office following contract termination.
The foundation stone for phase one and phase two of the BRT project, which includes procurement of buses and civil works, was laid in August 2022 and was expected to be completed by 2024. However, this completion timeline was then extended to the end of 2026.
University Road, one of the city’s main academic routes — dug up for the long-delayed Red Line project — has turned into what residents call a "well of death".
The Red-Line project, originally conceived to ease the chronic traffic woes of the metropolis, has instead become a daily ordeal for commuters. The affected segment - stretching from Safoora Chowrangi to Hasan Square - is among the most critical and heavily used portions of the 26.6-kilometre corridor.
Read: Citizens decry 'bad planning'on University Road
The prolonged construction has not only crippled traffic flow — turning minutes-long journeys into hour-long ordeals — but has also exposed citizens to daily danger. Citizens have repeatedly urged the Sindh and local government to immediately repair what used to be a broad and beautiful road and ensure proper safety measures until the project is completed.