FROM ZEESHAN MIRZA
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon, on Thursday directed to expedite process for construction of a new dedicated bridge and bus depots for BRT Yellow line project.
The minister while chairing a meeting held here to review progress on the project instructed to issue notice inviting tender (NIT) in the next two weeks for the construction of the new bridge of BRT Yellow Line parallel to existing Jam Sadiq Bridge on Malir river.
He further directed that notices of expression of interest should also be published for the construction of the boundary wall of Dawood Chowrangi and Indus Hospital Bus Depots of the project.
Sharjeel Memon stressed on timely completion of government projects envisaged for facilitating commuters in Karachi and said that construction period of the bridge should also be reduced to one and a half years.
Special care should be taken during construction of the bridge to prevent any untoward incident, he said and called for banning movement of heavy traffic on Jam Sadiq Bridge upon commencement of construction and repair work.
The minister asked Secretary Transport Department Abdul Halim Sheikh to hold a meeting with DIG Traffic for preparing an alternative traffic plan for heavy traffic on Jam Sadiq Bridge.
He said that bus depots of the BRT project should be made elevated because it was difficult to get land in the city.
MD Mass Transit Authority Zubair Channa briefed that the new bridge will be one kilometre long at a distance of 5 meters from the existing Jam Sadiq bridge and construction of the bridge will be completed in a period of 24 months as per PC-I.
After the construction of the new bridge, the existing Jam Sadiq Bridge will be repaired and restored, he informed adding that construction of Jam Sadiq Bridge was started in 1988 and it has been providing transportation facilities to the citizens for 30 years.
