Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the immediate rectification of several flaws, including uneven asphalt and faulty pavement markings on the Korangi Causeway bridge, and has ordered the completion of all remaining work on the Rs 6.135 billion project within three weeks. These directives were issued following a detailed inspection by a monitoring team, while the project has been reported as 96 percent physically complete.
The inspection was conducted on Sunday by the Monitoring and Evaluation Cell (MEC) of the P and D Department, led by DG (MEC) Altaf Hussain Sario. The visit was made on the special directives of the Chief Minister, who reiterated that “no compromise on the quality of public interest projects will be tolerated.”
The progress report submitted to the Chief Minister stated that the project is 96 percent physically complete against 78 percent financial expenditure. According to a spokesperson, the monitoring team deemed the overall work satisfactory.
Despite the satisfactory review, Chief Minister Shah identified several areas requiring immediate attention. He ordered the correction of faulty pavement markings, the leveling of uneven asphalt at expansion joints, and the immediate completion of signposting and stone pitching (riprap) for embankment protection.
Emphasizing technical standards, the Chief Minister was briefed that non-destructive testing (NDT) using a Schmidt hammer to verify concrete strength has been completed. The monitoring team, along with technical experts, also verified the measurements of the 1.4 km long bridge’s length, width, median, and footpaths, upon which the Chief Minister directed that all tests comply with international standards.
Although the official completion date for the project is set for March 2026, the Chief Minister has ordered that all remaining minor work be completed within the next three weeks, stressing that “the project’s engineering aesthetics and safety are the top priority.” Officials informed him that the bridge would be opened to the public in a few weeks.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the Korangi Causeway is a crucial infrastructure project for Karachi, designed to provide better travel facilities to the citizens. He concluded by stating that any negligence in quality or timeliness would be unacceptable, and further directed that public projects should ideally be completed ahead of schedule.