KARACHI: The city government has, in principle, decided to add Karachi's first underpass to the FTC Flyover to facilitate the Saddar-bound traffic, amidst completion of the project by 37 per cent.

Besides, catering to the future growth of the cited traffic, the redesigning of the FTC flyover (Grade Separated Intersection at Sharea Faisal and Korangi Road) would also help the city government to reduce cost on shifting of utility cables and other structures and save a total of Rs6.95 million.

The redesigning also includes a 1000 feet long and 150 feet wide new road costing Rs16.13 million, which would take traffic coming from Korangi Road on to the Mubarak Shaheed Road.

"Project Director Engineer Ghulam Rasool has proposed the underpass, which would be the first ever in Karachi," said Executive District Officer (Works & Services), city government Brig (retd) Syed Zaheer Kadri.

He said that the City Nazim had accorded approval to the redesigning of the flyover and the city government was serious in adding this facility to the main project to ensure fast and uninterrupted flow of the right turning Saddar bound traffic.

Kadri said that the flyover would be the lowest costing flyover of Karachi as the city government had adopted a transparent tendering process and sought economic solutions.

It may be recalled here that the work on the flyover was started on July 10, 2002 and would be completed within 24 months, by July 9, 2004. The tender was awarded to Maqbool Associates, at a sum of Rs109.41 million, excluding the cost to be incurred on two additional facilities; the 150 feet wide road and the underpass and some other expenditures including shifting of utility cables etc.

Around Rs3 to 4 million would be spent on shifting of utility cables from parts of the site.

The estimated cost of the cited underpass, which is Rs64.51 million, would be an additional facility to cater to the future growth of the traffic on Sharea Faisal coming from the Airport side and turning right onto the Mubarak Shaheed Road. Completion of the underpass when started would take one and a half year to complete, he informed.

Giving details of the underpass, Engineer Ghulam Rasool said that it would be 9.3 metres wide and 487 metres long, envisaging a 127-metre long covered portion with an RCC roof and floor.

The length of the descending ramp on Sharea Faisal and that of the ascending ramp on Mubarak Shaheed Road would be 155 metres and 205 metres respectively, he added. Both ramps, he said, would consist of RCC walls and floors. Retention tanks and suction pumps would also be provided for drainage of storm water, he added.

Ghulam Rasool said that though some underpasses existed in Lahore, this would be the longest one. Besides, the FTC Flyover would be the most beautiful flyover of the city, as span box girders would be used to avoid giving it an ugly look, which appears due to exposed beams under flyovers.

"Even if it (flyover) is not constructed, it will not affect the rest of the project. In the absence of this underpass, the traffic on Sharea Faisal, requiring to take a right turn to go to Saddar would then have to first take a left turn on to Korangi Road, climb the flyover and then take the Mubarak Shaheed Road to reach Saddar," he maintained.

Ghulam Rasool said that the city government, which was carrying out the project on its own resources, would try its best to complete all additional facilities simultaneously.

The project director said that the project would facilitate 12 kinds of traffic and provide an opportunity to 50 per cent of it to move signal free and uninterrupted.

He said that four out of these 12 kinds of traffic were straight traffic, which included traffic from Airport to Metropole, Metropole to Airport, via Korangi Road to Lines Area for Saddar and from Lines Area to Korangi Road.

Four right turn traffic included that from Korangi Road to Airport, Airport to Lines Area, Metropole to Korangi and from Lines Area to Metropole, he added.

Engineer Ghulam Rasool said that left turn traffic included those that required to turn from Korangi Road to Metropole, from Airport to Korangi Road, Metropole to Lines Area and from Lines Area to Airport.

Assistant District Officer (Works and Services) Mukhtar Husain highlighting the salient features of the flyover said that the overall length and width of the flyover from Korangi Road to Airport would be 495.795 metres and 12.45 metres respectively; 490 metres and 8.8 metres respectively towards the 150 feet road in Lines Area; and would be 478 metres and 8.8 metres respectively from Sharea Faisal on to Korangi Road.

The number of lanes from Korangi Road to Airport portion would be three and two each towards the 150 feet road in Lines Area and from the Sharea Faisal to Korangi Road portion, he added.

As far as the reinforced earth structures were concerned, Mukhtar said that the portion from Korangi Road to Airport would be 195 metres long, 80 metres towards the 150 feet wide road in Lines Area and 78 metres from Sharea Faisal to Korangi Road. Moreover, a pedestrian bridge has also been proposed in front of the FTC building at a cost of Rs4 million, it was also informed.