The skyline of Karachi is changing fast with the construction of new flyovers, towering buildings and the explosive growth in the number of giant billboards.
Five flyovers have sprung up over Sharea Faisal the road that serves as the main link between the Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah International Airport and the city's centre.
Now the government is planning a new expressway from Hino Square to the National Highway, which will ease about 25 per cent of the traffic load on Sharea Faisal and create a shorter route to the airport for the residents of the Defence Housing Authority, Clifton and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The work on a few other flyovers, including one at the Hino Square, has already started.
The authorities earlier this month also started building Karachi's first underpass on the main Clifton Road and they aim to complete it within six months.
The expansion and renovation of several key roads including the Rashid Minhas Road, Mai Kolachi bypass, M.T. Khan Road and M.A. Jinnah Road is also in full swing.
Most of this activity is being conducted under President Pervez Musharraf's Karachi package of around Rs29 billion (Dh1.8 billion) as well as by the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), which has allocated around Rs1.2 billion to ease the traffic problems of this mega-city.
The Sindh provincial government and the city government are also trying to involve private investors and various interest groups to bankroll the development projects, including the renovation and beautification of the I.I. Chundrigar Road the hub of Pakistan's banking and commercial activities. The State (central) Bank of Pakistan has asked banks and financial institutions to donate generously toward the project.
The Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) has already inaugurated the tallest building of Karachi earlier this year beating the Habib Bank Plaza.
But the MCB is unlikely to retain the record as the highest building for long as the KPT has already announced the construction of a 1,500 foot high Port Tower at the Clifton shoreline.
The commercial and recreational centre would also feature a revolving restaurant, a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city. The project is expected to take off later this year.
The Defence Housing Authority is planning a separate shoreline development that includes new hotels, high-rise buildings, children and adult entertainment areas and a private beach.
Gulf News
