The Sindh government has given the green light to the Karachi Port to Qayyumabad Elevated Expressway Project, which will be developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The approval came during the 48th meeting of the PPP Policy Board, held at the Chief Minister’s House on Friday and chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
During the meeting, the chief minister instructed officials to accelerate project documentation so that groundwork could begin soon. The board also endorsed the project’s scope, structure, and risk framework, and approved an unsolicited proposal to move toward competitive bidding.
According to the plan, the project will include the design, financing, and construction of a 16.5-kilometre, four-lane elevated expressway connecting Karachi Port (East Wharf) to Jam Sadiq Interchange. Once completed, the expressway will reduce travel distance by about 26 kilometres, allow round-the-clock heavy vehicle movement, and significantly ease traffic congestion in Karachi. It is also expected to enhance port operations and improve connectivity with the M-9 Motorway and Shahrah-e-Bhutto.
The board further approved design revisions to better integrate the project with the Yellow Line BRT, add mixed-traffic ramps, improve port access, and minimize land acquisition requirements.
Developed under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model, the project will operate on a user-pay basis, with the Sindh government providing capital and operational viability gap funding (VGF) and a minimum revenue guarantee for ten years.