I'm not talking about the quality of the work, I'm talking about the planning. If anything, that road is one of the best in Karachi. But very very very ill planned. I don't know how low an IQ does anyone need to design such a thing. A 4-year child can do better than that. I'd love to shoot the guy who designed it.

oh ok...i thought you were talking about the quality aswelll... As for the design, Honestly, i have no problem with it but a lot of other ppl do. I think Nespak tried to make the underpass thinking that they will emulate underpasses around the world. And around the world (btw cowasjee wanted a signal on top of the underpass, so people could take a right towards do talwar, if they were coming from boat basin, which i personally think is a rather stupid idea), this is pretty much how underpasses are, and people dont have a problem going an extra 500-1000 yards ahead to take a u turn. Thats how i feel atleast..
But there is such rivalry between Da senator of ports and shipin and the nazim, who are both mqm ppl, that they both try to one up each other.The Nazim is making sure he ruins da underpass and the surrounding area because he hadnt fixed the water drainage before the underpass became that swimming pool. I think the original plans that nespak made were fine, its the nazim who kept fidling around and ruining it.

The current design would've been fine if

1) A better solution wasn't possible
2) It didn't create a mess at 3-Talwar, 2-Talwar and opposite Forum

Sadly, neither of these conditions are even remotely met. Hence, it's a shitty solution. What they've done is what a child could've also done. An engineer's job is to find a better solution. They tried closing the turning opposite Forum, and the situation became worse. The place right now needs two flyovers and there's ample space for them. They made an underpass simply coz they thought it's cool to have one and so that KPT could get some positive PR. It's one of the shittiest solutions that I've seen. It's not even a solution, in all honesty.

That is not true. The initial idea was to make the fly over as you stated but the owner of forum and aghas had other ideas.they are pretty influential ppl. They talked to the gov and the corps comand at that time because if the fly overs were made, there prop value etc would go down. So the governor in some ways said no to that idea. KPT has nothing to do with this. They paid for the whole thing. FWO made it and nespak designed it. As for the turning infront of the forum. That wasnt suppose to b in place. Everyone was supose to go to the trafic light and take u turn if they wanted to(like everywhere else in the world). Thats not a stupid engineer coming up with that as a remedy. Thats how it is everywhere in the world. The problem is your trafic police opposite the forum isnt doing anything. Its a three lane road. One lane has cars parked on it. Thats why you have a traffic jam there. The road was widened so that you have more room to drive, not park the car. Tell the police to do their job. Cars shouldnt be parked there. Put Chalaans of 500-1000 rupees. Thats how it is everywhere else in the world.
its because the nazim and thr ppl have screwed the roads up. They have dug everything up because of their own faulty drainage. So to make sure that water didnt spill again into the underpass, they had to elevate the initiall part of the underpass.
Two ways would make the underpass so much better.
1) the city gov did there job rather then blaming other ppl for their neglegance.
2) If people could just drive another 200 yards and take U turns from the traffic light and the round about.
Otherwise i think the underpass is great. It does help out. And i think its perfectly fine. Nespak and FWO made the underpass because the fly over wasnt approved by the gov and the gov at that time. Kpt funded the project.
Truthfuly, id rather have the under pass then the fly over. It would ruin the clifton cross aswell.

OK, I didn't know about the Forum/Aga's thing. I only made my comment about the underpass based on KPT's ads - "first underpass of Karachi", "great achievement", blah blah.

Anyway, how is this a better idea if two influential parties didn't allow what was initially thought? What I'm saying is that that place requires 2 flyovers in addition to the underpass. This isn't a bad idea just coz two parties don't want it that way. Actually, I don't even see how that's affect either of them, but let's not debate that right now. (I know you were talking of the initial idea of the flyover, not the one's I'm proposing.)

Thirdly, just coz something happens in other countries doens't mean you just start doing it. If there's a better option available, you don't go to a worse option just coz others do it too. Other countries also have intersections, why not follow that example? Last point is that the signal cannot handle the amount of traffic that passes thru there, nor can 2-Talwar or 3-Talwar. Which basically is my point. If you've noticed I didn't mention the 4th turn, the one opposite Sagar. That's coz there's never a traffic problem there. I don't mind travelling an extra kilometer, what I mind is that turning not having the capacity to handle the traffic that passes thru that point. This is the case right now, and would get worse with time. I hope you get my point.

I understand wat your saying. And i agree, the load towards sagar isnt bad at all. But im sitting here and thinking how your idea would work. ummm, because if you had two fly overs, you would still need traffic lights for the other traffic to move through. And the load would be the same at 2 talwar and 3 talwar. (im just thinking of what you were saying. So please elaborate if you can/want to).
2ndly, a couple of fly overs will kill the prop value of that place. Have you seen the DHL building on sharai faisal. It be like that. A part of the fly over would be coming infront of forum and as for agha;s. Come on, they have so much power its not even funny. Opp sagar, when they have their functions. There is police, the traffic is stopped for people to cross.. its the MAIN road. like a high way in some sense, and it is halted. They have power and they know people.

The orders you get from home base is what you follow. I am not saying it is right. A fly over may have been better, but nespak did what the gov told them to do, and fwo follwed orders and made it and kpt paid for it.

I agree just because it works other places, it doesnt mean it will work in pakistan BUT, be that as it may, you make roads thinking that people will follow rules. I agree with you, that towards the forum, this problem is taking place and its hard to take the u turn But, the police are also NOT doing there job. 2 talwar and 3 talwar have always been jam packed. That will continue to b the case untill they either widen the road or come up with other alternatives. The dug up place around teen talwaar is a prob which the city gov needs to fix.
But the road is huge, atleast the one that kpt expanded, all the way till the traffic light near the forum. I cant believe people are parking their cars on the main road, making the roads small and killing the purpose of the expansion. Some times we ourselves take a hammer and keep hitting ourselves with it.
Another thing, Even if we both agree that the underpass is totally useless( i think its not as bad as ppl make it sound like.) BUT, the city government should try and come up with remedies. Its there job to keep the traffic flow constant and as fast as possible. They arent doing anything. The first thing to do would be to place police people opp the forum. But that wont happen because KPT/nespak/fwo made that road and this way it shows how the city gov's work is better then any one elses.

Ah sorry about the two flyovers thing, it'd require 3 of them. I made a mistake. Sorry for getting you all worked up over it. Which basically proves my point, though. It's so badly planned, a solution isn't possible! It'll only get worse over time.

As for the police at The Forum, there's not much they can do. There's just too much traffic. If they make one side stop, it'd only create a mess at that point. If they close that turning and make everyone use the signal, then there's way too much traffic at the signal then.

Regarding loss of business, that's just the way life is!

I think the idea you present, could be used at 3 talwar...ofcourse, the 3 talwar will have to go. As for the police. Opposite the forum, there is no excuse for anyone to park their cars. That is something the police should be taking care off.
I didnt get worked up, i just didnt understand how it would work. But anyway, the problem we end up having is traffic jams. I dont think the fly overs would help with that either. You need to widen the roads from 2talwar to 3 talwar(idk how they will...as you have the drainage thing dug up initially and then gulf etc). I think the underpass just makes its signal free and i think that was the purpose of it. There is soo much traffic, maybe it is time 3 talwar is brought down,the road is widened and a fly over or an underpass is made there.

This is what i feel. Iknow you may have different views toward this. I appologise to other people for using the 24 km elevated expressway as a forum for this discusiion. Maybe we should have dat in place from 2 talwar till the bridge near abn amro.

they are making a fly over in defence over khe-hafiz,they have dug a deppp hole and dat before yesterday a man fell into it and they had to call a crane to pik him up :P

I think the idea you present, could be used at 3 talwar...ofcourse, the 3 talwar will have to go. As for the police. Opposite the forum, there is no excuse for anyone to park their cars. That is something the police should be taking care off.
I didnt get worked up, i just didnt understand how it would work. But anyway, the problem we end up having is traffic jams. I dont think the fly overs would help with that either. You need to widen the roads from 2talwar to 3 talwar(idk how they will...as you have the drainage thing dug up initially and then gulf etc). I think the underpass just makes its signal free and i think that was the purpose of it. There is soo much traffic, maybe it is time 3 talwar is brought down,the road is widened and a fly over or an underpass is made there.

This is what i feel. Iknow you may have different views toward this. I appologise to other people for using the 24 km elevated expressway as a forum for this discusiion. Maybe we should have dat in place from 2 talwar till the bridge near abn amro.
I pretty much agree with all of it.

By Fasahat Mohiuddin
Karachi

After obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), possibly within 10 days, the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) will start groundwork on the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) project in a full fledged manner. The project will be executed by the IJM Corporation of Malaysia.

IJM will first start work from area in front of the Finance and Trade Center (FTC), and will then work simultaneously from three to four places - from FTC to Airport and from MT Khan Road. This project aims to cater to 98 percent middle class people, saving motorists and commuters from traffic hindrances on Shahra-e-Faisal.

The foundation stone laying ceremony of KEE was performed by President General Pervez Musharraf in February this year. This is the first-ever project of its kind in the country, and involves foreign investment to the tune of US$350 million.

Talking informally to newsmen at his office on Tuesday, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the city government has sent a detailed reply to satisfy EPA apprehensions, and added that, a committee has also been constituted to carry out evaluation work.

Mustafa said: ”We do not want to violate the law, thus volumes of papers have been sent to the EPA with regard to finance, structure and expenditure of the project.”

He said this huge project would generate about 9,000 to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, adding that the labourers involved would also acquire specialised skills while working on this modern project.

According to the City Nazim, IJM has established its head office in the DefenceñClifton area and its chief - Mr Razin bin Ghazali - has already shifted to Karachi from Malaysia.

IJM has deputed at least 13 engineers from Malaysia and would be investing US$350m on the project which is being carried out on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. The cost of the project would be covered in 20 years.

Referring to the objections raised by some people that this project should have rather been built along the railway line, Mustafa said multiple agencies have stakes on the path of the mentioned land, which was worth Rs50 billion.

It was not possible for the CDGK to acquire this land, hence it was decided to build this huge project on the islands (the green belt) i.e. central median of Sharea Faisal, he added.

He added that, except a few people, none of the agencies have expressed reservations about this project.

The City Nazim said that the people raising objections on the KEE project were ill informed, adding that there would be no kick-backs in this project as the Malaysian firm has brought in US$350m in the form of investment.

Mustafa further said that financial and technical consultants have been hired from a Dubai-based firm and that, upon completion, this project would facilitate the common citizens and middle class people.

KEE will be having six exit-entry points — at KPT, MT Khan Road, National Highway, Rashid Minhas Road, JPMC and Avari Towers.

Mustafa said this project should have been built 20 years back when it would have cost US $50 million, but, if it was delayed for five more years, its cost would have risen to US $2 billion.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=52877

IJM forsees traffic problems during KEE construction
By Fasahat Mohiuddin

Karachi

It is claimed that the IJM Corporation will try to minimise problems faced by people during the construction of the highly-controversial Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), though it was conceded that there will be difficulties for Karachiites over the three-year period of construction.

Chief Executive of IJM Corporation, Razin Bin Ghazali talked exclusively to The News here on Thursday and revealed that IJM will use a special kind of shuttering usually used in Europe and other developed countries to ensure minimum blockade of roads and side lanes. This is the first ever interview given by Ghazali to a local journalist after he arrived here in Karachi.

He revealed that the corporation will precast special long beams to be used in KEE and they will all be erected and lifted at night using trailers and cranes so that citizens do not get disturbed due to their shifting. These beams will be constructed on ground then lifted, he added.

Furthermore, he said they will use the most modern methods to try to minimise traffic congestion. He added that they will leave minimum material and machinery on the road in order to to facilitate citizens. Ghazali proclaimed that they are here to develop and build this city.

He also said that he understands that construction work of KEE will be an inconvenience for citizens. However, he felt that they should look to the future and once construction is complete, the view and shape of the city will be transformed, particularly in terms of traffic.

Replying to a question, he said IJM will bring in a new technology and develop highly skilled people of this country. He added that IJM will use the most modern construction process. In response to another question he said there will be 15 experienced engineers brought in from Malaysia for KEE and in addition they will train 60 to 80 highly skilled people from all over the country, including Karachi.

He referred to the problems of the people during the construction of flyovers in Karachi and asserted that in the construction of KEE the number of problems faced by citizens will be minimal.

CE of IJM said they have been working in India for the last ten years and have constructed a 20-kilometre-long Metro in New Delhi and are working on seven elevated expressways in different parts of India.

IJM is already engaged in Dubai in the construction business and is looking for an opportunity to carry out development work in Karachi and its CE claims that it has the capacity to build and complete projects within the stipulated period of time.

Ghazali said he was confident that this project would minimise traffic congestion in Karachi which is a daily issue in newspapers. He added that they are here to facilitate people with the help of city government. He also expressed his happiness that city government, federal and provincial government and other agencies are extending all possible cooperation to him and he believes this will strengthen good relations between Pakistan and Malaysia. He specifically mentioned the cooperation extended to his company by President General Pervez Musharraf. The President attended the groundbreaking ceremony on February 9, in Karachi.

The IJM with the permission of CDGK will begin work from FTC towards Quaide-e-Azam International Airport, said Ghazali.

City nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal hoped that this project will be on ground within ten days, if they get NOC from EPA. The cost of the project is US dollars 350 million and this project is being carried out on Build Own and Transfer (BOT) basis. The completion period is three years. According to city nazim this is the biggest foreign investment project undertaken in Karachi.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=53213

Its funny how everything is being done even though they havent yet received an NOC from the EPA.

Its funny how everything is being done even though they havent yet received an NOC from the EPA.

It is funny how Malays will now teach Pakistani engineers. They are making a big deal about bringing fifteen engineers from Malaysia.
Until a few decades ago, Malays used to come to Karachi for high school education!


For an idea on what was the fate of the first elevated expressway (I guess) in the world, please check out the following:

http://www.preservenet.com/freeways/FreewaysWestSide.html

Nazim is a good guy, but this Elevated Expressway idea on Drigh Road is one of the most stupid ideas I have ever heard of.

Someone needs to file a case with Sind High Court now!

*********

^^ Well you hope they use good materials on there not such crap that the expressway comes down crashing in a couple of years.

The city of karachi needs to remove katchi abadis (mostly illegals and non-karachiites) if Karachi has to survive as a city. Right now, Karachi has no zoning or plan whatsoever and is growing in a random manner just like many people in Pakistan produce 15-20 kids without thinking about their education, clothing, shelter, food etc.. :nuts: :lol:

I think this will be that ugly mistake that every city makes that future generations will have to live with.. but like I said pretty much every city makes it and I hope Karachi learns a lot from this. I also wish Arif Hasan ran for city nazim in Karachi.. they need him the most.

From Balma's link:

"Of the $1.7 Billion in federal highway funds that had been allocated to build Westway, the city shifted about 60% to improving mass transit."

This was in NYC about 20 years ago and what should've happened in Karachi in 2007. Why is our city nazim a BBA and has no credentials in third world development or urban/regional planning? Rejecting all the criticism simply with "Karachi is a unique city" that only he seems to know the answers to is a clear reflection of dictatorship trickling down to every level of governance.

Considering its going to cost that much to build it, I'm certain itll take double the amount to demolish it 10 years down the line when we realize what a stupid idea it is!

^^ Guys one troll comes in and makes a retarted post (his/her first btw) and you all suddenly flip over and start criticizing this important project.
Shahra-e-Faisal is getting choked nowadays with all the traffic on it. It is one of the most important arteries of the city. Since there is no way to expand it further and add more lanes the only solution is to build more lanes on top of it. Also when Lyari Expressway opens up it will relieve congestion on Shahra-e-Faisal as people of Nazimabad and northerly areas will use the LE in order to go to downtown business districts.

Mustafa Kamal may be an idiot...but atleast he is doing some work rather than sitting about and talking crap.

Exactly, I agree with you. Once Lyari Expressway is in use there will be less traffic on Drigh Road. Therefore, why destory it?
Similarly, by improving University Road, LalooKhet Road, and N. Nazimabad / Nazimabad to Gurumandir Road and finally improving Bandar Road will distribute the traffic and take some pressure off Drigh Road.

Also, if there has to be a new highway (for kickback and rishvat reasons) it can be built on ground along Malir Naddi.

Red_Arrow, I was always opposed to this project, I just thought I'd put my two cents in after reading Balma's link.

The theory that we can relieve congestion on a road by building more road is a simplistic one that has proven wrong again and again. People who don't understand traffic management will never understand this because it sounds so obvious to them. I suggest that they go to Los Angeles!

For a third of the cost we could've gotten 50 first-class public buses, improved SeF road by making lanes and coordinated traffic lights and traffic control centre, and created a taxis and buses ONLY lane, enforced by 24/7 police. People who say Karachiites don't like travelling on buses are stuck in the past and shouldn't have any say in urban planning. If it's enforced properly, people would definitely take public transit if the routes are simple to understand and the exclusive lanes make it much faster than a car. For people who disagree, I suggest they travel to pretty much any European country.

Saying.. "well, at least something's happening".. well I don't have much to say to that.. that Malaysian company better be using good materials because there will be traffic jams on the elevated expressway too, mark my words.

It just seems that Karachi is building its cities for cars and more cars, like most cities were in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. In the future, and in some future-thinking cities, planning is based around sustainable, public transportation that reduces pollution and is more people-friendly city than car-friendly. Unfortunately our BBA city nazims with no planning experience still think elevated expressways are cool-looking and thus something must be good about them. This project would probably not receive approval in any European or even North American city today, but hey, Karachi is a "unique" city!

There is nothing wrong wit BBA or any other degree. I don't think a good mayor has to have a Ph.D. in architecture or urban planning. All that is needed in a mayor is to be open to other people's ideas and be a good manager, and be honest. I like Karachi's mayor, or Nazim, but I have a big problem with this double decking of Drigh Road. Especially, when it is not needed.

Karachi Elevated Expressway City govt takes time over revisions

KARACHI, April 27: The City District Government Karachi has so far not submitted any revised plan of the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) to the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), which is considering its request for the issuance of an NOC for the project.
As estimated by the CDGK, the KEE, which is already being opposed by civil society, NGOs, professionals and conservationists because of its inefficiency, is likely to cost around $350 million. The amount has been promised by a Malaysian investor, whose engineers are already in the city.

Sources privy to the process of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project said on Friday that though the CDGK officials had responded to a number of questions raised by experts and other stakeholders during a public hearing on the EIA report held on April 3, it had still not submitted any revised drawings and details of alignment or structural design of the elevated expressway.

As per an earlier project plan, the KEE is to be an expressway with a total length of 25 kilometres, dual two-lane carriageway of overall width of 18.3 metres and elevation for vertical clearance of 5.4 metres minimum for vehicular traffic at surface. Its right-of-way (RoW) was originally supposed to be around 20 metres for two lengths.

The prime objective, as maintained by government officials, is to enhance the road capacity of the strategic corridor — Jinnah Bridge-Sharea FaisalJinnah Terminal-Quaidabad — and facilitate safe, secure and speedy travel from Karachi Port and CBD to the Airport, Port Qasim, Steel Mills, National Highway and Super Highway.

The comments on objections made in the EIA public hearing gave the impression that the CDGK has now decided not to acquire land from the Christian cemetery on Sharea Faisal and hotels and gymkhana on Club Road, as the KEE will be restricted to RoW of the road below the proposed elevated expressway.

Talking to Dawn, the Project Director of the Tameer-iKarachi Programme, Rauf Farooqui, said on Friday that in fact the CDGK had now decided to relocate the alignment of KEE structure, as most of the parties seemed not ready to offer their land for the right-ofway of the KEE.

It has been decided to further reduce the width of the KEE’s lanes, carriage and curvature, while the columns of the expressway will be raised strictly on the existing median, islands or centre of the road in every section. The alignment will slightly be different from what had been proposed earlier, he clarified, saying that Sepa would also be provided with the revised plan and drawings of the KEE.

A Sepa official said that since the agency was in the process of setting up an expert committee to scrutinise the comments submitted to it, it would need the revised structural and alignment plan as well before issuance or denial of any NOC to CDGK.Some stakeholders said that it appeared that the CDGK was still not clear about the utility of the project.

It is also confused about the cost of the project, which is sure to be revised downwards after the decision to reduce the width and changes in the proposed alignment.

^^ :lol:

Why cant they build a ring road in karachi instead of an elevated expressway which will ruin the beauty of shahra-e-faisal and make karachi look like a concrete jungle. Building a ring road instead of KEE may increase the traveling distance but the driving time shouldnt be significantly effected since it will still be a highway.

I dont think there is a possibility for a ring road in Karachi.

Technically the Northern Bypass is a ringroad?

There are many alternates to the KEE.
They should build new road on the bank of malir river parallel to sharah-e-faisal, make KCR functional, build 2 or 3 more flyovers on sharah-e-faisal and then we dont need KEE.
Treffic conditions on sharah-e-Faisal is not as bad as projected... just few flyovers are needed.

What the f*ck ever happened to the great old KCR?

I also heard that there was interest in the Maglev (magnetic railway) system? The reason roads fail is that more people will buy more cars which will again choke any expressway. Expressways should be build and roads widened but emphasis should be put on railways as in chicago, NYT etc. I think LA has railway line too but it is still a bad example of mismanagement! :lol:

[QUOTE=FahadKhan;12884838]Karachi Elevated Expressway City govt takes time over revisions

KARACHI, April 27: The City District Government Karachi has so far not submitted any revised plan of the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) to the Sindh Environmental
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070429/ts_nm/usa_crash_bridge_dc

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/sm/1778/p:1

Please visit the URLs above to read about recent tabaahee of an elevated highway in California. Of course, no one is saying that elevated highways will always have such accidents or all over passes are bad ideas. Karachi has enough land (along Malir Naddi) and enough parallel roads to Drigh Road to make this idea of an elevated expressway on top of Drigh Road unnecessary.

I dont think there is a possibility for a ring road in Karachi.

Technically the Northern Bypass is a ringroad?

Yes it is. It was named BYPASS but it was actually built as a RING ROAD. If you look through Google Earth, it is RING SHAPED.


Why cant they build a ring road in karachi instead of an elevated expressway which will ruin the beauty of shahra-e-faisal and make karachi look like a concrete jungle. Building a ring road instead of KEE may increase the traveling distance but the driving time shouldnt be significantly effected since it will still be a highway.

Ring Road cant be made INSIDE THE CITY DENSITY AREA....and building a Ring Road will not help all the commuters...as Ring Roads cant have easy reach intersections....while an expressway does have intersections to which everybody can reach easily...

And RING ROADS are also HIGHWAYS....like Northern Bypass is.

What Karachi Needs is an Underground Metro.

We should look at New Delhi and Tehran's metros as Ideas as how to implement them in Karachi.

Karachi is the largest city in the world which doesnt have a metro which is a disgrace

What Karachi Needs is an Underground Metro.


Yes, Karachi desperately needs underground subway system. It will be very expensive project and needs public-private funding. One solution can be to reclaim the land from sea east of Old Native Jetty Bridge resell the land for new Financial and Condo district for Karachi. If you look at WikiMapia this area is conected to sea through small opening under the Old Native Jetty Bridge and could easiely be reclaimed. The hills from North Karachi could provide sand and stones to reclaim the land.

edit

I wonders, govt has drawn a 25 years mega projects list but nowhere they have mention underground project therefore, i guess atleast for next 25 years forget about karachi underground system. :gossip:

What Karachi Needs is an Underground Metro.

We should look at New Delhi and Tehran's metros as Ideas as how to implement them in Karachi.

Karachi is the largest city in the world which doesnt have a metro which is a disgrace

Water table in Karachi is pretty high due to proximity to the sea. Also, an underground system will face major ventilation problems if ever built (which will also be a major problem to do). Light rail transit is THE BEST option for Karachi instead of expressways, busways, subways or any other kinds of ways. In 10-15 years time gas/petrol will be completely out of affordable range for the avg Pakistani anyway. We should start switching over to alternative transport systems as the car culture will likely be finished within the next 25-30 years (try googling Peak Oil for more info).

Sometimes I think that this Mass Transit may never work in Karachi, the poor would try their best to avoid paying the fares, while the elite would never use it considering it would be an insult to avoid driving their crappy Corollas (in White colour btw).

Water table in Karachi is pretty high due to proximity to the sea.

The water table is Karachi is high due to broken and leaking gutter and water pipes. If this was the reason then all cities by the sea, river and lakes will also have high water table. London, Chicago, Toronto and New York would also have higher water table since they are close to sea/river/lake. We all know it is not a problem in these cities.

well if UK and France can be connected by undersea train tunnel than there is no point of making water table excuse in this time of advanced technology

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=channel+tunnel

everything is possible if u want to have it done :)

What Karachi Needs is an Underground Metro.

We should look at New Delhi and Tehran's metros as Ideas as how to implement them in Karachi.

Karachi is the largest city in the world which doesnt have a metro which is a disgrace


well if UK and France can be connected by undersea train tunnel than there is no point of making water table excuse in this time of advanced technology

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=channel+tunnel

everything is possible if u want to have it done :)

Even though its ideal - its not feasible. karachi does not have that kind of money. even a rich city like Toronto has to think twice if it wants to extend the metro to lets Pearson airport or yorku for that matter (im just giving examples im not sure if TO is going to or not)

Sometimes I think that this Mass Transit may never work in Karachi, the poor would try their best to avoid paying the fares, while the elite would never use it considering it would be an insult to avoid driving their crappy Corollas (in White colour btw).

No, I dont think thats correct.

If cities like Tehran and New Delhi can have subways in which people have similar mentalities like Karachi, then initially it won't work but people will look at the benefit of Subways and start using them.

You have controlled entry and exit points so how can this system not work?

Even though its ideal - its not feasible. karachi does not have that kind of money. even a rich city like Toronto has to think twice if it wants to extend the metro to lets Pearson airport or yorku for that matter (im just giving examples im not sure if TO is going to or not)

Its about longterm planning. The money is not spent at once but over many years. The problem is nobody is thinking that far ahead.
In Toronto the problem is labour cost and cost of disrupting traffic, I dont think its money only.

By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque

KARACHI, May 2: The city government has decided to launch the Sharea Faisal Widening Project at an estimated cost of Rs1.35 billion together with the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) project.

Under the SFWP, one more lane will be added to Sharea Faisal, besides relocation of underground utility lines, renovation of service roads, removal of encroachment and beautification of the entire thoroughfare.

Allocated under the head of KEE project in the city government’s draft budget for fiscal 2007-08, the hefty amount of Rs1.35 billion would be utilised over a period of three years.

“The Karachi Elevated Expressway is a well-thought-out project and the widening of Sharea Faisal is directly related to it. M/s IJM Corporation of Malaysia will undertake the $350 million KEE project while the SFWP will be undertaken by the CDGK,” City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal told Dawn on Wednesday.

He said that the SFWP had been in the doldrums for long and the launching of the KEE project provided the city government an opportunity to start work on it simultaneously.

He said that after certification from the Environment Protection Agency, work on the KEE project would begin and within the next few weeks, the city government would start widening Sharea Faisal.

“Several public and private concerns have encroached upon both the service roads along Sharea Faisal,” he pointed out, adding that under the road widening project, all such encroachments would be removed and this would enable the city government to add an extra lane to both the tracks of Sharea Faisal.

Regarding the KEE project, he said the expressway would be constructed at a height above the existing flyovers over Sharea Faisal. However, shifting of underground utility lines would be the main concern while executing the projects. “The IJM will start work on the FTC section of Sharea Faisal towards the airport while the city government would start work on relocating the utility lines and widening the road.”

Mr Kamal said that the expressway and Sharea Faisal would cater 50 to 60 per cent of the city’s traffic. “Commuters coming from Site or Surjani will have a direct access to the Elevated Expressway through the signal-free corridors.”

Dawn - Online Edition Thursday May 3rd, 2007 (http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/03/local3.htm).

Their building the Expressway and widening Sharea Faisal? I think they should leave it alone, I dont even think there's space to widen it :?

Their building the Expressway and widening Sharea Faisal? I think they should leave it alone, I dont even think there's space to widen it :?

The only way they can widen it would be to reduce the size of the greenbelt running in between Sharah-e-Faisal and the sidewalks on either sides of it. Which means more trees will be slaughtered! :ohno:

I think they would cut down the pedestrian walkways and a portion of the sidelanes, which are already clogged.

Stupid idea I swear, since their building the expressway I think they should reduce one lane and add one in the sidelanes for proper parking areas.

[QUOTE=oogabooga;12971051]By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque

KARACHI, May 2: The city government has decided to launch the Sharea Faisal Widening Project at an estimated cost of Rs1.35 billion together with the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) project.

Under the SFWP, one more lane will be added to Sharea Faisal, besides relocation of ...
...
...

Yak nah shood, doe shood.

Actually people of Orangi and Korangi have bigger (you know what)s than the fat cats on Drigh Road. By now the people of Orangi and Korangi would have gone to courts.....

[QUOTE=oogabooga;12971051]By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque

KARACHI, May 2: The city government has decided to launch the Sharea Faisal Widening Project at an estimated cost of Rs1.35 billion together with the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) project.

Under the SFWP, one more lane will be added to Sharea Faisal, besides relocation of ...
...
...

Yak nah shood, doe shood.

Actually people of Orangi and Korangi have bigger (you know what)s than the fat cats on Drigh Road. By now the people of Orangi and Korangi would have gone to courts.....


Say what now? :?

Its about longterm planning. The money is not spent at once but over many years. The problem is nobody is thinking that far ahead.
In Toronto the problem is labour cost and cost of disrupting traffic, I dont think its money only.

I am talking about startup costs. In Pakistan however labour costs and especially disrupting traffic are not issues :). Politians love to disrupt traffic

Even though its ideal - its not feasible. karachi does not have that kind of money. even a rich city like Toronto has to think twice if it wants to extend the metro to lets Pearson airport or yorku for that matter (im just giving examples im not sure if TO is going to or not)

if u think about 100 years from now then it-is-feasible to start digging from now like london underground which is now the only best transportation system to travel within the city for more than 10million commuters every year. but anyways we used to think just for now or may be for next 1 year or 2 so its better keep saying its not feasible yet.

how can they widen shahra e faisal? it has no potential for widening. where will people walk if they take away the sidewalks? what about all the bridges and flyovers? their pillars rest on the sidewalks. and the centre median/greenbelt would be used for that darned EE!

how can they widen shahra e faisal? it has no potential for widening. where will people walk if they take away the sidewalks? what about all the bridges and flyovers? their pillars rest on the sidewalks. and the centre median/greenbelt would be used for that darned EE!

I don't think thats going to be an issue as people walk on the roads anyway... even if there are sidewalks

I don't think thats going to be an issue as people walk on the roads anyway... even if there are sidewalks


funny and true

If you look at the way the new roads are being constructed in Bahadurabad, the walkways are so thin that it can only accomodate a single person.

Its a disgrace I swear.

Staff Report

KARACHI: A committee comprising 11 experts has decided to conduct a physical inspection of the proposed Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) and to submit a report on the environment, health and safety measures of the project.

The decision to conduct this inspection was taken during a three-hour long meeting, held Monday, at the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)’s office in Korangi.

The committee, formed by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), performing on a voluntary basis, comprises Dr Mir Shabbar Ali of NED University of Engineering and Technology, Dr Moazzam Ali Khan of the University of Karachi, Dr Arif Zubair of Federal Urdu University, Col. Najamul Islam of Defence Housing Authority, Tufail A. Shaikh of the National Highway Authority, Yousuf Barakzai of the Lyari Expressway and Karachi Northern Bypass projects, the former secretary of the provincial environment department and presently, a consultant to the Sindh Coastal Development Authority, Shamsul Haq Memon, and Dr S. M. Makhdoomi of the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.

The committee was formed to evaluate the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the proposed plan of the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE). The proposed elevated expressway, 24 km long with four lanes, from the Native Jetty Bridge to the Quaidabad intersection (through Shahrah-e-Faisal and M. T. Khan Road), is a project of the city government, funded from abroad.

“The committee has decided to conduct inspections as such inspections are necessary under the provisions of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Review of EIA/IEE) Regulations 2000,” the SEPA director general (DG), Abdul Malik Ghauri, informed Daily Times.

When he was asked regarding the experts’ comments on the environmental impacts of the project, the SEPA DG said that they have not mentioned anything in this regard as yet. “They are still studying different issues of the project and will report after conducting the inspection,” he said.

Many social organizations and environmentalists have expressed their concerns regarding the environmental impacts of this proposed plan on the city.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\22\story_22-5-2007_pg12_8

Make it 6-lanes and an intersection at EVERY important road and I'm game. 4-lanes = joke. One that's not even funny.

Can you provide that much ROOM in the GHETTO Karachi :| ....?

I bet this project could hardly be completed in 5-6 years....or even more...

By Mukhtar Alam

KARACHI, June 6: While granting clearance for the 25-kilometre-long elevated expressway over MT Khan Road and Sharea Faisal, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has required the project proponent, the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK), to plan traffic diversions and publicise them well in advance, minimise inconvenience to citizens and carefully monitor any potential environmental hazard.

The Sepa no-objection certificate (NOC) was issued to the CDGK on Monday for the construction of the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) from Jinnah Bridge to the Quaidabad Intersection. The project’s ground breaking ceremony was performed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf two months before an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) public hearing was conducted by Sepa on April 3. Concerns had been voiced that the project, which lies along Karachi’s Sharea Faisal business strip, would cause significant environmental and other problems -- many of these are addressed in the conditions laid down by Sepa.

Under the requirements, the project is to be completed in the minimum time possible without being left abandoned or unattended at any time from the date of commencement of construction to completion. Therefore, the document stated, “work shall only be started when it is sure that it would neither stop nor slow down during the construction period.” Sepa directs the CDGK to advertise through the electronic and print media any diversions or detours that will become necessary during construction. It also requires these alternative routes to be properly constructed before the KEE construction is started, and that the diversionary plan is submitted to Sepa.

CDGK has been asked to ensure that traffic is not disrupted along the Rashid Minhas Intersection, and no existing structure is adversely affected in any way. If necessary, the bridge in the centre of the road for traffic turning right while approaching from the eastern (airport) side should to be relocated to avoid disruptions. Furthermore, space limitations on either end of the expressway, particularly at the Malir/Quaidabad Bridge, must be addressed in the entry and exit point designs.

Sepa has directed the CDGK to coordinate and consult the construction plan and schedule with all the relevant civic agencies, including the KW&SB, the KESC, PTCL, SSGCL, the Cantonment Board and the traffic police. In terms of the protection of the environment, Sepa requires the CDGK to adhere strictly to mitigation measures proposed in the EIA submitted earlier to the agency. Institutional arrangements for the implementation of the environment management plan must be finalised before construction is started so that no delay occurs. Furthermore, the proponent is required to restore the Sharea Faisal greenbelt as far as possible with plantation and landscaping after project completion.

The proponents have been asked to keep the height of the KEE at Level 2 on the Club Road section in order to reduce noise pollution and help maintain ambient air quality. “Wherever the height of the KEE is at Level-1,” said the document, “some mechanical exhaust system must be supplemented to provide improved environment quality under the expressway.” The CDGK has also been di rected to engage an independent environmental monitoring consultant to monitor any hazards such as dust emissions, road obstructions, traffic jams, or high levels of noise. Furthermore, states the Sepa document, “all the environmental conditions of this approval shall be incorporated in the terms and conditions of tender document of the project for commitment and compliance. The tender document incorporating the conditions shall be provided to Sepa for record.” Sepa stipulates that all social and conflicting issues must be settled before construction on the KEE is started, and the project proponent must adhere to clarifications made in response to the concerns of various stakeholders. It is further required that no puncturing of the deck slab should take place on existing bridges and suitable adjustments must be made to the KEE design. Construction techniques should be adopted with a view to reducing traffic disruptions as far as possible. Solid waste generated during the construction must be sent to designated landfill sites, and noise and vibration levels must be monitored and controlled.

The CDGK is asked to ensure that no unfortunate incident takes place in connection with the expressway construction, since the cost of damage to the environment, property or life of any person or worker will be borne by the proponents of the project. In addition, the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) set-up must be established and supervised by an HSE officer with sufficient administrative and technical authority. Furthermore, the CDGK must not damage or restrict access to protected heritage sites, religious places, graveyards, hotels, museums or places of recreation.

The clearance issued by Sepa also requires the establishment of a complaint centre that is manned round the clock, the telephone numbers of which should be displayed on large signs on the extremities of each section. This is to ensure that any citizens’ complaints are not only heard but also acted upon.

The document states that the approval has been granted only for the project activity described in the EIA reports, and the CDGK will be required to submit a separate EIA or other relevant report if any change in project design takes place.

http://epaper.dawn.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=07_06_2007_117_007&typ=0

Great news. I was always for this project. However, hopefully they have given more entry and exit points now.

Great news. I was always for this project. However, hopefully they have given more entry and exit points now.
And 6-lanes. Else it'd be a useless, worthless piece of shit.

good news for karachi.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h53/kbboy101/renders/Sanstitre.jpg

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for constructing the 25 km-long Elevated Expressway at a cost of US$ 350 million.

The much-touted project, which is to run above Shahrah-e-Faisal from Quaidabad to Jinnah Bridge, was vehemently opposed by architects and urban planners. However, according to sources within the CDGK, the expressway’s construction would begin within the next two weeks after an agreement was signed with the Malaysian firm, IJM Corporation.

Sources said that the CDGK and IJM were both prepared to go ahead with the construction of on one of the city’s mega projects. The project will be financed through foreign direct investment (FDI).

“All civic agencies including the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC), Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL), Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and others, have been directed to relocate their underground utility services situated on the central area of Shahra-e-Faisal that has to be dug up to erect pillars for the expressway,” sources in the CDGK’s Works and Services Department said.

Sources told Daily Times that the expressway would be constructed in two phases. “Once the agreement between the CDGK and IJM is inked, construction work on the first phase will begin to be complete in two years. The second phase, from the airport to Quaidabad, will take another year.

Daily Times repeatedly contacted Rauf Akhter Farooqi who is the project director for the Tameer-e-Karachi Programme and is responsible for the construction of all mega projects being carried out by the city government. However, he was not available to talk.

“Strict restrictions had been imposed on the CDGK to begin constructing the mammoth project only after they had identified clear detours and traffic plans that would have to be followed during the expressway’s construction,” Director General of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) Abdul Malik Ghori told Daily Times. He said that they had also directed the city government to publicise the plan through print and electronic media and also set up a complaint center to address public grievances.

Responding to a question regarding reservations against the project shown by architects, environmentalists, educationists and others in the public hearing held on April 3, DG Sepa said that the city government had formulated a committee of experts to evaluate the points and discuss the reservations. He assured that all such problems would be addressed and resolved.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\06\08\story_8-6-2007_pg12_8

chaloo good, some good news atlast

The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has confirmed that the groundwork of the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) will start by the end of the month despite reservations expressed by various quarters on this project.

He told The News that construction would begin at five different places on Sharah-e-Faisal simultaneously. However, these five points have not been decided as yet. According to the Nazim, the CDGK is currently considering various sites and a decision would be taken soon.

Mustafa Kamal said that adequate arrangements would be made to allow proper diversions to traffic at the points where work would start on the elevated expressway....

...General Secretary of Shehri, Amber Ali said that citizens have a right to know the exact terms of this agreement. The $350-million project will be 24 km long, with six entries and exits at Quaidabad, Star Gate, HIR Road, Shahrae Quaideen, Hotel Metropole and Jinnah Bridge.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=60818
***

The expressway would be started on five points at the months end but those points haven't been decided? Won't it take a significant amount of time to get to work after the points have been finalized?

I wonder if the actual work on ground will start or only work on paper by end of month.

:lol:

This expressway won't do anything to reduce the loads of traffic in Karachi it's just going to keep it flowing. If Karachi is serious about resolving it's traffic issue once and for all, it needs to look into mass transit!!!!!!!!!!!

It will help keep some traffic off Sharea Faisal, its actually simple to calculate, this expressway would be like "express" lanes that you have on highways, which dont have regular stops but go from point A to B, while Sharea Faisal would be the "collector" lane which would have frequent stops.

That is if people are willing to pay Rs. 20 for the toll (estimated toll price)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1065/551624563_2bf8dddce6_o.jpg

This expressway won't do anything to reduce the loads of traffic in Karachi it's just going to keep it flowing. If Karachi is serious about resolving it's traffic issue once and for all, it needs to look into mass transit!!!!!!!!!!!

City Mayor & his KEE plans :bash: :bash:

Karachi Elevated Expressway



KW&SB says it will not be responsible for consequences Sceptical letter by water board to EPA states project likely to destroy sewerage pipelines

By Shahid Husain

Karachi

The US$350 million Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), pursued so vigorously by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK), is likely to destroy the storm water drains and sewerage pipelines of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB), thereby accentuating the miseries of the citizens living in the mega city of Karachi.

This is amply demonstrated in a letter written by the deputy managing director (planning), KW&SB to the director general, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), government of Sindh, on March 31, which categorically stated that the KW&SB would not be responsible for the consequences of the project.

“Only the sponsor of the project would clarify for any ecological/adverse effect of project upon the citizens if any. KW&SB would be one of affectees because the water supply & sewerage pipe lines coming in alignment of median (20 ft either sides of its center) and those which are in the crossings of corridor (KW&SB and private bulk consumers as well) from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad would be affected. As a part of routine development, those would require re-routing at the cost of sponsors,” the letter said.

“KW&SB however would not accept disposal of any wastewater generated by pile foundation and other construction of Karachi Elevated Expressway Project into storm water drains & sewerage pipelines of KW&SB because it would destroy these systems. The company has to arrange own bouzers to cater their safe disposal under monitoring of CDGK as per guidelines of EPA,” it said.

KW&SB has pointed out that pipelines that are running within 20 feet’s width on either side of the center of the median of Sharae Faisal from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad would need “re-routing.” Besides, shafts are to be re-adjusted by sponsors to avoid construction of pile cap upon those pipelines crossing Sharae Faisal, Club Road and MT Khan Road.

The letter further said that KW&SB would deposit the cost estimates for the re-routing of pipelines with the project director KEE, CDGK, who would arrange the funds either by the CDGK or from the private company and transfer it to the KW&SB’s account. “However, bulk consumer duly affected would replace their service pipelines at their own being private property,” the letter said.

“In view of above position, it is the responsibility of sponsors of the project to undertake construction work after fulfillment of above mentioned conditions regarding water supply and sewerage pipeline re-routing to avoid any dislocation of water and sewerage pipelines of KW&SB because it would destroy these systems. The company has to arrange (its) own bouzers to cater (to) their safe disposal under monitoring of CDGK as per guidelines of EPA,” the letter said.

Although the massive project is being opposed by leading architects and town planners as well as three former chief secretaries of the Sindh government, the CDGK is adamant to go ahead with it and claims that the KEE will enhance the road capacity of the strategic corridor from Jinnah Bridge, Sharae Faisal, Jinnah Terminal and Quaidabad; facilitate safe, secure and speedy travel from the Karachi Port and the central business district to the airport, Port Qasim, Pakistan Steel Mills, National Highway and Super Highway; and upgrade and modernise the infrastructure facilities of the “fastest growing megapolis.”
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=61568

This expressway won't do anything to reduce the loads of traffic in Karachi it's just going to keep it flowing.

That was the general idea chiknay.:lol:

I m not with this project because it will ruin the beauty of Shah Faisal and will also effect colonial buildings at Club road, i will propose this expressway to be constructed above the railway lines instead of Shah Faisal.

ADVANTAGES OF ELEVATED EXPRESSWAY
-Non stop from Airport to City center & Downtown
-Non stop between Karachi port & Port Qasim
-Industrial transport can also use KEE
-6 entrance points
-use as Southern Bypass

ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES OF KEE ABOVE RAILWAY LINE
-Will not effect beauty of Shah Faisal & Club road
-Will not effect Shah Faisal (major artery) during construction
-No Environmental concern
-A Route parallel to Shah Faisal
-Industrial transport will not use Shah Faisal
-Will save lands of major 5* hotels
-Will not increase burden on Jinnah bridge
-Railway lines along Elevated Expressway
-Pakistan Railways will not need to construct boundaries along Railway lines due to crossing by people
-Industrial transport from Korangi, Landhi, Bin Qasim, Malir industrial areas will not use Hino Chowk, Mai Kolachi Bypass

RED (Shah Faisal)
BLUE (Railway line)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_11.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_12.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_13.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_14.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_15.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_16.jpg

^^ About the mass transit system. I recently watched anwar maqsood's program on some pakistani channel in which he interviewed Mustafa Kamal. And in that Kamal told him abou tthe Mass tranist system. he said something about it being built in 3 phases. the work has been finalised and the project is waiting to start. the only problem right now is with the land of railways or port authority. They are under negotiations and work would start as soon as they reach a solution.

@ Zees: no colonial building worth preserving remains on club road. Karachi Gymkhana has been almost completely rebuilt, others are already gone.

Only colonial building of significance this EXPWY will encounter is Napier Barracks and I dont think it will suffer much because of it.

By Shahid Husain

Karachi City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and project director Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), it seems, are not aware how many vehicles would pass through $350 million expressway after it is completed.

“We have made a consultancy but I can’t tell you at the moment how many cars and other vehicles will pass through the expressway. You better contact KEE’s Project Director Rauf Akhter Farooqi. He will tell you,” Syed Mustafa Kamal told The News.

But amazingly, Rauf Akhter Siddiqi was also unable to tell anything worthwhile.

“I will inquire about it from the city nazim and inform you,” was the reply of the project director of the massive project.

Experts believe that since the project is being carried forward without any financial feasibility study, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and the KEE Project Director Rauf Akhter Siddiqui are reluctant to provide estimates of the traffic flow, the extent of earnings through toll tax and the huge deficit that the impoverished people of the megalopolis would have to pay through their nose.

“If we divide $350 million with 20 years and again with 365 days, and charge 20 rupees from a car as toll tax we need to have a car on KEE after every three seconds for payback,” a prominent architect told The News on condition of anonymity. “The payback to the Malaysian firm would be Rs one billion per year or Rs 2.8 million per day and keeping in view the maintenance charges, the cost will double in 20 years,” he said.

“What they are saying is that instead of minimizing traffic load they will add it to repay the Malaysian company,” he said.

“As a matter of fact the financial viability of the project does not exist and it is not a bankable project,” he added.

“Furthermore, Malaysian companies do provide a shoulder or an emergency lane on the elevated expressway to face any eventuality in case of an accident but here it does not exist,” he mentioned.

“Mismanagement is the main problem on our roads, especially during VIP movement and the alternative is managing traffic rather than building utopian projects,” he said.

Other architects and town planners are equally opposed to the myopic project.

“The EIA does not deal in statistical terms with the impact of the proposed road networks on the traffic patterns along the Sharea Faisal corridor. These proposed road networks consist of three ring roads, signal-free radial roads, the Lyari Expressway and the Northern Bypass. In the absence of a study on the impact of the roads on Sharea Faisal, the analysis of traffic patterns on this corridor are not acceptable,” said the noted architect and town planner while making comments on the flawed EIA of KEE in February this year.

Roland DeSouza of SHEHRI also showed his concern over the project.

“KEE is not needed for the traffic of Karachi. Instead, we need two things: One, an affordable public transport system; two, traffic discipline and enforcement of laws on the existing roads. The number of cars should be reduced and replaced by a mass transit system,” he said.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sindh government, however, refutes these charges.

“Halcrow (Malaysia) study has considered all these and similar aspects with full traffic load and future projection considering the city as a whole,” it said.

The KEE will cover a distance of 25 kilometers from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad and will pass over Moulvi Tamizuddin Road, Club Road and Sharea Faisal. It is being built by Malaysian firm M/s IJM Corporation Berhard
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=62492

Few quick questions.

1. Where is the Jinnah Bridge?

2. What changes will happen to Shahrah-e-Faisal as we know it today?

3. When is the work going to start?

4. Did they even consider mass transit system over existing railway lines?

^^

Just visit the previous pages ... you will get satisfactory answers to all of your questions...

Few quick questions.

1. Where is the Jinnah Bridge?

2. What changes will happen to Shahrah-e-Faisal as we know it today?

3. When is the work going to start?

4. Did they even consider mass transit system over existing railway lines?

1. The round bridge on the west of this pic called Jinnah Bridge

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_11.jpg

Few quick questions.

1. Where is the Jinnah Bridge?



http://www.flickr.com/photos/creating2000/89871106/

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/17/89871106_f8688c26ba.jpg

Location: Tower

I'm guessing that Mass Transit wasnt chosen over this for the following reasons:

-$350 mil is relatively cheap when compared to metro systems that easy reach into the billions of dollars. This is a cheap fix.

-A private company is actually willing to develop this project. I dont know of any company that put forth any concrete plans for mass transit, all i've heard of is "interest" in construction of such a system. If some company showed a real plan for constructing a mass transit system complete not only with route maps, but rail, station and train designs (as well as a way to pay for it), then I doubt Karachi's rulers would put off such a plan that would make themselves look so great.

-and finally, the city probably thinks elevated freeways will make Karachi look more cosmopolitan. While it may be ugly, i do actually think it would make Karachi look more like a big city.

KARACHI: The Institute of Architects Pakistan (IAP) has listed 19 reasons and concerns about the proposed Elevated Expressway (EE) that the CDGK plans to build over the M.T. Khan Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor, according to a press release Tuesday. On Feb 24, the CDGK is holding a briefing on the project at the AKU at 10:30 a.m., the IAP’s Amina Nasim Jan told Daily Times.


According to the press release, the architects and planners are not against development; in fact their business thrives with the development in the country but Shahrah-e-Faisal which has been there since before Partition was never designed to support an elevated expressway.


The project proposes to construct a 24km long, 4 lane expressway which will stretch from Jinnah Bridge at Keamari to Quaidabad in Malir. Vehicles will be required to pay a toll. There will be six entry and exit points; Quaidabad, Star Gate, Karsaz, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Hotel Metropole, and Jinnah Bridge. The EE will be high enough to clear the existing overpasses and will have toll plazas at intermediate levels at the six entry/ exit nodes. There have been very limited public hearings on this project.


Several prominent members of the architectural and engineering communities have expressed their reservations but their concerns have been brushed aside in the rush to initiate this project in the name of development and foreign investment.


The IAP believes that there are several reasons why this project is conceptually flawed and unfeasible: The EE is being developed to ease the current and projected load on Shahrah-e-Faisal. The project does not take into account the alternative route and the relief that will be provided by the Lyari Expressway nor does it consider any different corridors to divert traffic off of Shahrah-e-Faisal.


The EE is proposed to be a high-speed link for freight and passenger traffic between the airport, Karachi Harbour and the Port Qasim. Realistically, there is very limited traffic between the airport and the two ports. Instead there is much greater freight traffic between the ports and the rest of the country, adequately serviced by the Northern Bypass.


It is also not correct to refer to the EE as the Southern Bypass as has been suggested because it bypasses nothing and ploughs through the densest and most valuable real estate in Karachi. The EE also does not service any of the industrial estates of Karachi. There is no direct access to the EE from Korangi, SITE and North Karachi except through residential neighbourhoods. These areas are much better served by the Northern Bypass and the National Highway.


The project proposes to place a limited access high-speed expressway over the alignment of Shahrah-e-Faisal and M.T. Khan Road. This would mean that the expressway would have the same constraints and limitations as Shahrah-e-Faisal and M.T. Khan Road and will hardly allow expressway speeds. For example, the expressway will travel over the Bridge at PIDC, squeeze between Hotel Pearl Continental and Hotel Sheraton; curve around Hotel Metropole and past Hotel Avari.


By adding the EE, the volume of traffic that can be handled by the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor may be doubled but the roads leading into Shahrah-e-Faisal and away from it will remain the same. This will create major congestion on roads feeding Shahrah-e-Faisal. An EE is an expensive and inefficient response to the city’s traffic problems. When the volume exceeds the capacity of the EE, it will not be possible to widen it. Therefore, this project will have much shorter productive life span than an on-grade highway.


The EE is being proposed as a 4 lane highway with two lanes traveling in either direction (The 6-lanes claimed in CDGK publications includes entry and exit lanes). There is no provision for a shoulder or emergency lane. A breakdown or accident on the expressway will result in traffic jams of monumental proportions, with no escape for vehicles and no access for fire tenders or ambulances except from the six exit points.


The placement of the six entry and exit points is not rationally based on the requirements of the city’s traffic but rather on the limited space available for entry and exit ramps and toll plazas. For example, there is no entry or exit at Jinnah Airport. Airport traffic will exit the EE at Star Gate intersection and merge with Shahrah-e-Faisal traffic till the JIA intersection. There is no interchange at either Rashid Minhas Road or FTC. Residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal and DHA would have to exit earlier and merge with Shahrah-e-Faisal traffic.


The proposed Master Plan 2020 calls for the development of multiple nuclei, i.e. additional business districts at different locations throughout the city to reduce commuting time and pressure on our roads and other resources. The goal of this proposal is to decrease the dependence on Saddar. This is a commendable proposal in the Master Plan. The EE tends to contradict this goal of the Master Plan as it seeks to concentrate more traffic into Saddar. If this money were applied instead to develop a Central Business District in Port Qasim it would open up jobs there and reduce traffic to Saddar.


Lastly, the increase in the number of cars on the roads in Karachi is not a valid justification for the construction of new highways. The city should not be fascinated by the notion of having an elevated expressway as if such a thing is an achievement that heralds Karachi’s elevation to a ‘mega city’. Elevated expressways are usually the failure of urban planning because they indicate that a city has failed to manage its traffic problems through less dense, less expensive, on-grade solutions.


The construction of the EE will ruin one of the most attractive boulevards in Karachi. Trees along Shahrah-e-Faisal will be lost. It will effectively place a roof over the existing roadway, cutting off sunlight and breezes. Anyone wanting to imagine the ambience of the resulting roadway need only stand under the NIPA flyover or the Liaquatabad Flyover and imagine it extending for 24km.


The increased traffic load on the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor and the construction of the EE will greatly increase the levels of emissions. The expressway perched above Shahrah-e-Faisal will trap pollution and prevent it from dispersing.


The EE passes through the heart of Karachi’s thriving commercial, business and tourist districts. Much of its length is over Shahrah-e-Faisal which was recently designated as a corridor for high rise commercial development. After its completion, traffic on the EE will whiz past the third and fourth floor of these buildings. The high walls of these building will create a canyon-like effect which will trap pollution and amplify noise. The EE will obscure the facades of every building that it will cross, greatly hinder people’s access and will depreciate real estate values.


The price tag for the EE has grown from the initial US$225 million through $250 million to $350 million (Rs 21b). Figures much higher than these have been quoted by independent sources. The feasibility of this project depends on the recovery of the cost through tolls.


The EE project is expected to cost $350 million or Rs 21 billion. The developer is expected to recover their investment by collecting tolls from all vehicles over the first 20 years of its life. This means that the operator will need to collect Rs 1,050,000,000 per year or more than Rs 2,876,000 per day. If the average toll per vehicle per trip is set at Rs 20 that would amount to 143,835 cars per day using the expressway. Divided between the six entry/exit points, that amounts to almost 24,000 cars per exit per day or one car every 3.6 seconds. It would seem unlikely that the CDGK’s financial claims about this project will be realized. In which case the foreign developer of the project will claim the CDGK’s sovereign guarantee.


The construction of the EE will cause severe hardship to the residents of Karachi particularly to the businesses located on Shahrah-e-Faisal. The construction time of 30 months appears to be too optimistic considering the usual pace of construction in Pakistan (foreign developer notwithstanding). The CDGK has not shared any plans with the citizens of Karachi on how it plans to achieve these diversion plans during the construction period and which adjacent neighbourhoods will be affected.


Shahrah-e-Faisal is the main access route to the airport and is heavily used for the movement of VVIP’s. How will this access be maintained during construction? What diversionary routes will be used for VVIP traffic at added security risks? There have been no public hearing held to discuss this with residents and businesses along the Shahrah-e-Faisal / M.T. Khan Road corridor.


The EE is not the only solution to the traffic problems of Shahrah-e-Faisal. After its completion, The Lyari Expressway will handle a large volume of traffic currently accessing Shahrah-e-Faisal from the north. The IAP proposes two alternatives: develop an on-grade highway along the Malir River bed and; develop the under-construction road through the Korangi Industrial Area into an expressway. Both proposals can be connected laterally across the Malir River to Shahrah-e-Faisal which will provide a natural detour during VVIP movement. This will allow citizens living south of Shahrah-e-Faisal to use this expressway instead. Both proposals can be connected to Karachi Harbour through limited access corridors through DHA.

(Daily Times-B1, 21/02/2007)

KARACHI, Feb 9: President General Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan is moving forward on the path of progress and prosperity.


He was speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of the Karachi Elevated Expressway held at the Governor's House here on Friday. The expressway is being built to link National Highway and Jinnah Bridge.


The president described it a great project as the 24-kilometre elevated expressway would help ease traffic congestion and ensure safety during travel.


Pakistan is moving forward in every sphere – economic and development, social sector, health and education -- as well as political sector, and introducing sustainable democracy, empowerment of women and minorities, etc.


He noted that the country was making headway because the economy had been set right which led to the accelerated developmental activity.


Gen Musharraf pointed out that from 1988 to 1999, the development budget of the country was between Rs60 billion and Rs80 billion per annum which had now gone up to Rs415 billion.


"That is why, the government has been able to take up development projects in Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP and other parts of the country."


The president said that the only threat the country faces was from terrorism, extremism and sectarianism and if we did not correct this situation, we would not be able to sustain the economic growth.


He said that Pakistan had a standing in the comity of nations, in the Islamic Ummah and in the world. "People seek our views and our support," he added.


Gen Musharraf said: "Our standing in the comity of nations will not be there in case we do not eradicate intolerance, extremism and sectarianism from our society. The strategy which we are pursuing will enable us to tackle the problem of terrorism."


Economic prosperity is gauged by the things such as the availability of energy, and Pakistan is suffering from electricity and gas shortage. This is a sign of development and we will take steps to meet this challenge. The other sign of development is traffic congestion. In Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, roads are so broad but even in Islamabad, the traffic is chocked today and, therefore, flyovers, overhead bridges and underpasses are being constructed.


Gen Musharraf pointed out that some five years back, the production of cars in the country was about 35,000 while the figure had now gone up to 250,000. The production of motorcycles which was 85,000 at that time had also crossed the 800,000 mark, he added.


He said that this was the boom in the purchasing power of people who are buying more cars and motorcycles which, he pointed out, was also a sign of development.


The President said the projects under the Karachi Development Plan were started some four or five years back in which the corporations of this city contributed while the federal, provincial and district governments also participated.


He also lauded the role of Sindh governor and chief minister for supporting all these projects. He also appreciated the energetic Nazim of Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal.


In the context of the massive development, the president made mention of the mega projects like Northern Bypass, Lyari Expressway and the 100-MGD water supply project, as well as the construction of Quaid's mausoleum park, Bagh Ibne Qasim, Askari Park at Old Sabzi Mandi and the beautification along the beach.


He said the short- and mid-term steps were being taken by Karachi Electric Supply Corporation to improve electricity supply in the metropolis.


The president said that that the Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri was also doing a lot for the development of Karachi, and added that a bridge was being constructed up to Manora (Island). A number of projects were coming up for Karachi, he said.


Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Managing Director of the IJM Corporation Dato Krishnan Tan Boon Seng also spoke on the occasion.

(Dawn, February 10, 2007)

In spite of the widespread criticism that it has received since it announced the project, the City District Government Karachi has elected to plough ahead with the proposed elevated expressway along the M. T. Khan–Sharea Faisal corridor. The criticism has come equally from the planning and design community as from other stakeholders and citizens. The CDGK has single-handedly conceived of this massive infrastructure undertaking, without fully understanding the complex dynamics of the traffic problems in Karachi and has proposed to solve the perceived problem with a single stroke which will rend a gash through the fabric of the most vital and commercially viable parts of the city.


In spite of the fact that it administers only about 34 per cent of the city of Karachi, the CDGK has none the less taken it upon itself to supposedly solve the traffic problems of the entire city. The elevated expressway promises to relieve the traffic congestion on Sharea Faisal as well as provide a southern bypass for heavy freight traffic travelling from Karachi Port to the National Highway. In the administrative patchwork that characterises the city of Karachi any expressway project should be conducted through the collaboration of all affected agencies. It is therefore curious that even though the current southern truck route from Karachi Port to the National Highway runs through DHA, the CDGK has taken it upon itself to alleviate this problem at its own cost and environmental risk. It seems oddly magnanimous of the city nazim.


Last month, in conformance with the requirements of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, the CDGK submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment Report to the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. A study of this two volume, 264-page document reveals that it is full of unsupported assumptions, general statements and irrelevant data. The report is largely intended to fulfil a legal requirement and it provides little concrete information about the environmental impact of the project or any cogent steps for avoiding or mitigating this environmental damage.


According to the report, the elevated expressway will in effect place an 18 metre wide canopy over the entire length of the M T Khan Road–Club Road–Sharea Faisal corridor, partially or completely covering -- depending on its width -- the at-grade roadway. The width of the right of way (ROW) of the resultant elevated expressway and the at-grade road varies from 23 metres where the road is tight and can only allow two lanes, two-way traffic, to 39 metres where four lanes, two-way traffic is possible below the elevated expressway. At the exit points, the space for ramps and tollbooths push the width of the ROW to over 50m. The height of the clearance of the expressway will vary from 5.4 metres to more than twice that to clear existing flyovers.


In order to achieve this ROW widening exercise, the CDGK hopes to acquire "very small" strips of land at intervals along the entire length to "redefine the ROW". Specifically, this means acquisition of land from the Bahria Complex, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, the PC hotel, Karachi Gymkhana, Qasr-e-Naz and the State Guest House, Sindh Club, Hotel Avari and the Quaid-e-Azam House! The "very small" strips of land add up to nearly 15 acres.


Shahrah-e-Faisal was never planned as a high-speed expressway corridor. A pre-partition route, it is pinched in many places and often crowded by new and old buildings. The elevated expressway will follow the alignment of this corridor. Along its length the elevated expressway will fly over the old Lover's Lane Bridge at PIDC, squeeze between the PC and Sheraton hotels, crowd past Shafi Court, Hotel Metropole, Hotel Avari, Quaid-e-Azam House and Hotel Mehran. It is expected that the ride on the elevated expressway will have the feel of a gentle roller coaster.


The worst condition is along Club Road between PIDC and Hotel Avari. Here the narrowness of the existing roadway will effectively create a tunnel. The EIA report admits that the construction here "will be problematic since it may require the removal of existing landscape features … followed by appropriate restoration of landscape." The "existing landscape features" refers to the giant trees that have lined Club Road in front of Karachi Gymkhana ever since the British laid out the modern city of Karachi.


The "appropriate restoration of landscape" must mean plastic potted plants because nothing else will thrive in the tunnel. The expected air pollution levels here are so high that the report recommends that "the impact would be suitably mitigated by an exhaust system such as those provided in tunnels or underground transport systems." The report also mentions that the "problem is now compounded" by the addition of a VVIP exit ramp on Club Road in front of the DCO office." As if we had any doubt who this project is really intended for. It is unclear how this will impact the city's three leading hotels or the normally moribund tourist industry.


The rest of the corridor does not fair much better. The construction of the expressway will most certainly result in the destruction of all trees and vegetation on the median of M T Khan Road and Sharea Faisal. The vegetation on the median is dismissed as mostly "hedges which are not radiation sensitive" even though the accompanying table lists nearly 1,100 surveyed trees on the median including 242 neem trees. After construction the CDGK proposes to replace these mature trees with "vegetation that survives under low levels of solar radiation".


I guess that would consist of ferns and mushrooms. The EIA report 'infers' "that the vegetation in the . . . sides will not be impacted by the construction . . . ." This is factually incorrect since the realignment of the ROW to accommodate the structure of the expressway and especially the toll plazas at the exits will not only result in destruction of trees but will probably also impact sidewalks, service lanes and parking. Interestingly, all the trees surveyed along the corridor are either between five and seven feet in height or taller than seven feet -- as if the surveyor was handicapped by an inadequately small measuring tape. This is statistical nonsense because it underplays the actual sizes of the many mature trees along the route.


The issue of the noise and air pollutions is dealt with in an equally cavalier manner. The results of a recent air quality study are quoted and it is concluded that the accumulated air pollution will disperse to acceptable levels within 50 metres. Unfortunately, along much of its length the expressway is hemmed in by tall commercial properties and does not have the luxury of the required space for dispersal. There is no mention of the pollution levels under the expressway. No samples were taken under any of the existing flyovers in the city. However, a recent study by PEPA on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in different parts of Karachi shows the Karimabad intersection having NO2 levels four times higher than the worst industrial areas of the city. The only thing unique about Karimabad intersection is that it sits under the Liaquatabad flyover.


There is much more self-serving justification in the EIA report but what is clear is that the CDGK is proposing to commit an atrocity in our city. This obscene rush to acquire the worst accoutrements of big cities is going to result in permanent irreparable damage to the urban fabric of this city. It is up to the citizens of Karachi to speak up at the EPA public hearing on the third of April and reject this project.

(By Arif Belgaumi, The News, 03/04/2007)

Like the National Monument in Islamabad and the KPT Port Fountain in Karachi, is the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) a grandiose and pretentious symbol to establish that Pakistanis are second to none?


Or, like other mega-projects in this country that are a common substitute for far-sighted and intelligent planning, will it generate tape-cutting photo opportunities and colourful newspaper supplements in a lead-up to the general elections?


We can be sure though, as per the old chestnut of economics: ‘There is no such thing as a free lunch’, that the cost of the “annuity basis” project (US$ 225 million in March 2006, rising to US$ 350 million in September 2006, and peaking at an unknown figure if completed) will come out of the citizens’ pockets.


The city government’s stated reason is “to facilitate speedy movement/flow of traffic by creating an efficient and cost-effective system for motorists, including commercial and heavy vehicles.”


Admirable and desirable motives, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. But there is little evidence that the requisite detailed studies, examination, and analysis of alternatives has been undertaken to arrive at the optimum “efficient” and “cost-effective” solution. The scheme seems to be a ‘shoot-from-the-hip’ attempt to address a genuine problem.


Firstly, it seems obvious that the introduction of discipline into the wild and wooly traffic and related practices of Karachi will increase manifold the traffic-handling capacities of the existing roads.


Could this increase be 100 percent? Could it be 200 percent? Could it be 500 percent? How much faster and smoother will traffic move if we are able to get away from the prevalent ‘law of the jungle’ and the ‘survival of the fittest’ strategies in traffic management?


What would be the cost of introducing such traffic discipline? Would it be US$ 350 million? Even it were, wouldn’t the benefit accrue to motorists all over Karachi and not only on the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor, surely a much more “efficient” way to spend the citizens’ money? If one wants to understand what kind of people live in a country, one must stand at a central intersection of a major city and observe the movement of traffic.


You will appreciate the state of education, the level of common courtesy, the state of writ of law, the intensity of aggression of motorists, the discipline of the pedestrians, etc. In a nutshell, you will experience the character of the “natives”.


Some of the issues of road and traffic regulation that were identified during the KEE public hearing (detailed objections to the Environmental Impact Assessment made by the Institute of Architects, Arif Hassan, Shehri: Citizens for a Better Environment, and Pearl Continental Hotel can be viewed at www.shehri.org) were as follows.


First, the enforcement of traffic discipline: Traffic confusion is exacerbated by absence of lane markings, non-use of bus-lanes/stops, slow traffic occupying fast lanes, frequent switching of lanes (especially motorcycles) without signaling, speeding, not stopping at the red-light or at stop signals, stopping in the middle of the road, jay-walking, inadequate pedestrian crosswalks/overhead bridges, vendors/beggars at intersections, and the like.


Addressing these will slash wastage of fuel, cut health-endangering vehicle pollution, reduce congestion, improve safety, and save man-hours and mental stress in needless traffic jams. Second, the relocation of criticalactivities: Many vehicle trips would become unnecessary if markets and warehousing were re-sited to more appropriate locations. Is the citizenry aware that oil pumped from bulk storage at Keamari, through Clifton and DHA to the National Refinery in Korangi, is refined and pumped back to Keamari! Tankers are then loaded at the port and traverse the city roads on their way upcountry! The simple alternative of a loading terminal on the Superhighway has eluded the city administration for decades.


Third, the enforcement of non-peak timings for heavy traffic: Tankers, trucks and other heavy vehicles must only be allowed to use designated city roads outside normal working/peak hours and on holidays. This policy is presently weakly implemented.


Fourth, parking discipline: Commercial areas and school locations (which are springing up all over the city in violation of town-planning laws) generate parking chaos on the roads, thus reducing traffic capacity. This is very common on Sharah-e-Faisal, especially in the sections between Sharah-e-Quaideen Flyover and Awami Markaz, and between the airport and Quaidabad. As mandatory parking spaces in buildings are illegally converted to commercial and storage uses, cars are parked two and three deep on many roads in Saddar, off Chundrigar Road, PECHS, etc.


Fifth, the removal of encroachments: Thelawallas, rehris, khokas, street-vendors, generators, and other encroachments occupy pedestrian pavements and roads, reducing their traffic-handling capacity and forcing citizens to hazardously walk in the path of traffic.


Sixth, the proper signals & traffic control: The existing capacity of Shahrah-e-Faisal and other thoroughfares can be significantly increased by cleverly engineered and coordinated traffic-signal systems, including provision for standby supply during KESC failures.


In Karachi, indeed in Pakistan, we tend to take the easy way out. For example, if ‘A’ publicly threatens ‘B’s life, the government will provide ‘B’ with a police guard; ‘A’ is too “powerful” to be taken up under law. If the solution to traffic snarls is to construct elevated expressways, we need many in Saddar and other choke points. How long can this country keep going sans the writ of law?


Is it possible to tackle the traffic issues of Karachi without a cheap and efficient system of public/mass transport? Again, with our Rolls Royce type of thinking, we believe that below grade subways or elevated trains are the only solutions.


Efforts to revive (and eventually extend) the Karachi Circular Railway, and link it up with a well-planned network of CNG buses to interconnect with the rest of the city have not generated sufficient political enthusiasm, perhaps because it is too simple and cheap a way out, without the potential for large kickbacks. The KEE is supposed to address port (KPT and PQA) traffic: wouldn’t this traffic also be better served by the underutilised but cheap form of mass transit, the Pakistan Railway?


Karachi’s planners and decision makers, like Dehli, Nairobi, Vancouver, and many other cities, must consult Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogot·, Colombia, who is widely credited for setting that city of seven million on a course of sustainable development. When Penalosa first began his radical strategies in 1998, his approval rating hovered around 15 percent. When his term ended three years later, he was hailed as one of Colombia’s rising political stars.


A 2006 Canadian press report tells the story: “Enrique Penalosa presided over the transition of a city that the world—and many residents—had given up on. Bogota had lost itself in slums, chaos, violence, and traffic. During his three-year term, Penalosa brought in initiatives that would seem impossible in most cities, even here in the wealthy north. He built more than a hundred nurseries for children. He built 50 new public schools and increased enrolment by 34 percent. He built a network of libraries. He created a highly-efficient, “bus highway” transit system. He built or reconstructed hundreds of kilometres of sidewalks, more than 300 kilometres of bicycle paths, pedestrian streets, and more than 1,200 parks.


He did it all, in part, by declaring a war on private cars. “What are our needs for happiness?” he asked. “We need to walk, just as birds need to fly. We need to be around other people. We need beauty. We need contact with nature. And most of all, we need not to be excluded. We need to feel some sort of equality.” Before you dismiss Penalosa as some hemp-hatted revolutionary, remember that this is a guy who titled his first book ‘Capitalism: The Best Option’.


The problem in Bogota was that most people didn’t have access to the public space that is supposed to make such happy things happen. The wealthy had turned city sidewalks into parking lots for cars. Public parks had been fenced off, essentially privatised by neighbours. And for years, the government had been blowing its budgets on highways and road improvements, with the encouragement of Japan’s international development agency, which was apparently in the business of creating new markets for Japan’s carmakers. So while the wealthy in Bogota could spend their weekends in country clubs or private gardens, the poor had little but jammed streets and televisions to occupy their leisure time. Penalosa resolved to establish a balance.


Penalosa’s official ‘War on Cars’ began when he ordered the sidewalks cleared of cars. That triggered a movement to impeach him —-unsuccessful, since it was in fact illegal for people to park on the sidewalks. He then launched a system, based on the number plate of the car, which banned 40 percent of vehicles from the roads during rush hour. Penalosa convinced his city council to raise the tax on gasoline, and used half the revenues to fund a rapid bus system (‘transmilenio’) that now serves more than 500,000 citizens.”


Penalosa said “We had to build a city not for businesses or automobiles, but for children and thus for people. Instead of building highways, we restricted car use. ... We invested in high-quality sidewalks, pedestrian streets, parks, bicycle paths, libraries; we got rid of thousands of cluttering commercial signs and planted trees… All our everyday efforts have one objective: Happiness.”


While some may consider all the suggestions made above to be difficult to implement and unrealistic, do we have any other sensible options? If we are to survive and prosper as a nation, we must solve our burgeoning urban issues, including traffic. Implementation of straightforward people-friendly and environment-friendly measures in this field will ensure a trickle-down effect to other areas of public life.


The KEE fiasco has presented the city government, the planners and the citizens of Karachi with a not-to-be missed opportunity: take stock of your citywide public spaces and traffic issues, and generate the political will to develop simple traffic discipline and an economical public transport system.

(By Ronald DeSouza, The News-20, 17/04/2007)

f the City District Government of Karachi is to be believed, the planned Karachi Elevated Expressway, to be built in the city's busy business district, will be the best thing to happen for the country's commercial capital. However, the project has earned the severe disapproval of a wide array of architects, environmentalists, engineers and a section of civil society. Their views, expressed at a public hearing organised by the provincial environmental protection department last week, make eminent sense given that the planned project will see an elevated expressway running along Karachi's primary thoroughfare -- Sharea Faisal -- for 25 kilometres, connecting the central business district with the city's outskirts, to the north of its airport. Not only will its construction cause massive disruption to the city's traffic system -- already close to a mess on any given day -- it will be an environmental nightmare and an aesthetic monstrosity. Besides, the choice of an elevated expressway seems a bit odd since the trend all over the world nowadays seems to rely on relatively more environmentally-friendly approaches such as building a subway or improving the whole system of traffic by greater monitoring and regulation of private vehicles and introduction of alternative forms of transport. In fact, the planned route of this particular project is such that it will mar the view of many of the city's major buildings and neighbourhoods, since many lie on or straddle Sharea Faisal.


If the project does go ahead, it also involves several private sector organisations, including some of the city's leading hotels, parting with some of their land (presumably in exchange for compensation). However, and understandably so, the hotel owners have already objected to the project, saying that the last thing their guests needed was to see a massive concrete structure blocking the view from their room's window. One primary argument being used by the backers of the elevated expressway is that it will bring in foreign investment and presumably the government will not be paying much out of its pocket to fund it. However, this approach by the federal and provincial governments in Pakistan needs to be modified because projects should not be blindly built just because they bring in large amounts of foreign investment. Instead, the environmental and long-term effects of these projects should also be considered when such decisions are made, particularly the views and opinions of all stakeholders, especially those who are to be directly affected by a project's construction and eventual completion. Not only that, in this particular instance, once built, the expressway will charge tolls for use so to say that there will be no cost to the general public is entirely misleading.


As for the environmental impact, the CDGK is almost dismissive of such concerns. Its version of the public hearing, which is available on its website, suggests that a decision has already been made to disregard the concerns expressed by civil society to the project with the hearing portrayed as one where it was successfully shown that the expressway would have no adverse environmental impact. Surely, such a stance does not help and only reveals that the CDGK considers the whole process of conducting an environmental-impact assessment (as required by law and pending whose approval no construction can begin) of the project as nothing more than a formality. Also, the project shows a distinct lack of priorities in that the city does not have a fully functioning solid waste management and garbage collection system and its government has ambitions to make an elevated expressway stretching some 25 kilometres. More consideration needs to be given to all those who have disapproved of this idea. It would be better if Sharea Faisal was left alone and if at all such an expressway, linking the city's port with the highways to its north, is to be built, then there are other routes which will cause less social, environmental and aesthetic harm. Also, alternatives such as making the Karachi Circular Rail functional, exploring other rail options and the much-needed streamlining of the overall system of traffic management need to be considered before any hasty decision is made.

(The News, 10/04/2007)

http://www.urckarachi.org/Elevated%20Expressway.htm

@ zees:

Can you summarize those 5 walls of text in 5 lines please?

^^^ ahahahh I couldnt stop my palm scrolling down :P....

@ zees:

Can you summarize those 5 walls of text in 5 lines please?
You learning from me, eh?

@ zees:

Can you summarize those 5 walls of text in 5 lines please?

Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.

You learning from me, eh?

:?

Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.


Ah!
OK.
thanks for the summary.
thats cool.
so i didn't miss anything.

They couldnt come up with something better then KEE :ohno:

Maybe something like;

The Elevated Expressway (TEX)
Most Controversial Expressway (MCE)

They still sound better then KEE :rant:

If the Lyari Expy could get built, then i dont think anything will stop this expy from being built either. Afterall, the Lyari Expy displaced something like 200,000 people!

If the Lyari Expy could get built, then i dont think anything will stop this expy from being built either. Afterall, the Lyari Expy displaced something like 200,000 people!

:shocked:

If the Lyari Expy could get built, then i dont think anything will stop this expy from being built either. Afterall, the Lyari Expy displaced something like 200,000 people!

Thats not surprising

Karachi's population is like 16 Million and will hit 20 Million by 2010....

So 200,000 people getting displaced is not a big deal.....

200,000? eek!

250,000 infact :)...CGDK developed a new BASTI for them.... and named it LYARI EXPRESSWAY RESETTELMENT PROJECT..common illiterate ppl living there nicknamed it LYARI BASTI :D

@ zees:

Can you summarize those 5 walls of text in 5 lines please?

in 5 lines......not possible for me


Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.
Some people say KEE bad. Some people say KEE good.

Not exactly, infact my all posts are against KEE


Shahrah-e-Faisal was never planned as a high-speed expressway corridor. A pre-partition route, it is pinched in many places and often crowded by new and old buildings. The elevated expressway will follow the alignment of this corridor. Along its length the elevated expressway will fly over the old Lover's Lane Bridge at PIDC, squeeze between the PC and Sheraton hotels, crowd past Shafi Court, Hotel Metropole, Hotel Avari, Quaid-e-Azam House and Hotel Mehran. It is expected that the ride on the elevated expressway will have the feel of a gentle roller coaster.


The worst condition is along Club Road between PIDC and Hotel Avari. Here the narrowness of the existing roadway will effectively create a tunnel. The EIA report admits that the construction here "will be problematic since it may require the removal of existing landscape features … followed by appropriate restoration of landscape." The "existing landscape features" refers to the giant trees that have lined Club Road in front of Karachi Gymkhana ever since the British laid out the modern city of Karachi.


CDGK hopes to acquire "very small" strips of land at intervals along the entire length to "redefine the ROW". Specifically, this means acquisition of land from the Bahria Complex, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, the PC hotel, Karachi Gymkhana, Qasr-e-Naz and the State Guest House, Sindh Club, Hotel Avari and the Quaid-e-Azam House! The "very small" strips of land add up to nearly 15 acres.

It is also not correct to refer to the EE as the Southern Bypass as has been suggested because it bypasses nothing and ploughs through the densest and most valuable real estate in Karachi. The EE also does not service any of the industrial estates of Karachi. There is no direct access to the EE from Korangi, SITE and North Karachi except through residential neighbourhoods. These areas are much better served by the Northern Bypass and the National Highway.

The placement of the six entry and exit points is not rationally based on the requirements of the city’s traffic but rather on the limited space available for entry and exit ramps and toll plazas. For example, there is no entry or exit at Jinnah Airport. Airport traffic will exit the EE at Star Gate intersection and merge with Shahrah-e-Faisal traffic till the JIA intersection. There is no interchange at either Rashid Minhas Road or FTC. Residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal and DHA would have to exit earlier and merge with Shahrah-e-Faisal traffic.

The proposed Master Plan 2020 calls for the development of multiple nuclei, i.e. additional business districts at different locations throughout the city to reduce commuting time and pressure on our roads and other resources. The goal of this proposal is to decrease the dependence on Saddar. This is a commendable proposal in the Master Plan. The EE tends to contradict this goal of the Master Plan as it seeks to concentrate more traffic into Saddar. If this money were applied instead to develop a Central Business District in Port Qasim it would open up jobs there and reduce traffic to Saddar.

The construction of the EE will ruin one of the most attractive boulevards in Karachi. Trees along Shahrah-e-Faisal will be lost. It will effectively place a roof over the existing roadway, cutting off sunlight and breezes. Anyone wanting to imagine the ambience of the resulting roadway need only stand under the NIPA flyover or the Liaquatabad Flyover and imagine it extending for 24km.

The EE passes through the heart of Karachi’s thriving commercial, business and tourist districts. Much of its length is over Shahrah-e-Faisal which was recently designated as a corridor for high rise commercial development. After its completion, traffic on the EE will whiz past the third and fourth floor of these buildings. The high walls of these building will create a canyon-like effect which will trap pollution and amplify noise. The EE will obscure the facades of every building that it will cross, greatly hinder people’s access and will depreciate real estate values.

The construction time of 30 months appears to be too optimistic considering the usual pace of construction in Pakistan, Shahrah-e-Faisal is the main access route to the airport and is heavily used for the movement of VVIP’s. How will this access be maintained during construction? What diversionary routes will be used for VVIP traffic at added security risks? There have been no public hearing held to discuss this with residents and businesses along the Shahrah-e-Faisal / M.T. Khan Road corridor.

The EE is not the only solution to the traffic problems of Shahrah-e-Faisal. After its completion, The Lyari Expressway will handle a large volume of traffic currently accessing Shahrah-e-Faisal from the north. The IAP proposes two alternatives: develop an on-grade highway along the Malir River bed and; develop the under-construction road through the Korangi Industrial Area into an expressway. Both proposals can be connected laterally across the Malir River to Shahrah-e-Faisal which will provide a natural detour during VVIP movement. This will allow citizens living south of Shahrah-e-Faisal to use this expressway instead. Both proposals can be connected to Karachi Harbour through limited access corridors through DHA.

As for the environmental impact, the CDGK is almost dismissive of such concerns. Its version of the public hearing, which is available on its website, suggests that a decision has already been made to disregard the concerns expressed by civil society to the project with the hearing portrayed as one where it was successfully shown that the expressway would have no adverse environmental impact.

Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri added that a bridge was being constructed up to Manora (Island).

Alternatives such as making the Karachi Circular Rail functional, exploring other rail options and the much-needed streamlining of the overall system of traffic management need to be considered before any hasty decision is made.

Again i will suggest the Alternative


I m not with this project because it will ruin the beauty of Shah Faisal and will also effect colonial buildings at Club road, i will propose this expressway to be constructed above the railway lines instead of Shah Faisal.

ADVANTAGES OF ELEVATED EXPRESSWAY
-Non stop from Airport to City center & Downtown
-Non stop between Karachi port & Port Qasim
-Industrial transport can also use KEE
-6 entrance points
-use as Southern Bypass

ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES OF KEE ABOVE RAILWAY LINE
-Will not effect beauty of Shah Faisal & Club road
-Will not effect Shah Faisal (major artery) during construction
-No Environmental concern
-A Route parallel to Shah Faisal
-Industrial transport will not use Shah Faisal
-Will save lands of major 5* hotels
-Will not increase burden on Jinnah bridge
-Railway lines along Elevated Expressway
-Pakistan Railways will not need to construct boundaries along Railway lines due to crossing by people
-Industrial transport from Korangi, Landhi, Bin Qasim, Malir industrial areas will not use Hino Chowk, Mai Kolachi Bypass

RED (Shah Faisal)
BLUE (Railway line)

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_11.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_12.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_13.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_14.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_15.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/zees/KEE_16.jpg


Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri added that a bridge was being constructed up to Manora (Island).

Just imagine the Jinnah bridge after completion of KEE & Port Grand food street.
My alternative route will not increase the burden on Jinnah bridge.

^^ I've also suggested the alternative route along the railway track. But the City government has no ownership of the land so they can't do it.

For some reasons Expressways over rail lines have never been successful (as per myself), the planned Scarborough Expressway here failed aswell for different reasons though but still I have yet to see it myself.

Plus it would not really work as on and off ramps would be a big mess.

^^ I've also suggested the alternative route along the railway track. But the City government has no ownership of the land so they can't do it.

But they can cooperate after all both are state institutions
Pres. Mush can play a role here

But they can cooperate after all both are state institutions
Pres. Mush can play a role here

The construction is starting in a month or two :lol:

Yeah, it's a done deal. My only hope is that they build it to a good quality standard, which I'm sure they will.

The toll method should be top-class too, maybe something like those "Prepaid" cards or acceptability of Debit or Credit cards would be nice, especially if their going to be charging the toll for what 10-20 years?

The toll method should be top-class too, maybe something like those "Prepaid" cards or acceptability of Debit or Credit cards would be nice, especially if their going to be charging the toll for what 10-20 years?

no such plans :)

Due to the toll tax, most drivers will prefer driving via Shahrah-e-Faisal, just imagine driving below the KEE, with no view, no sunlight, pollution, wall chalking :ohno:

KEE will effectively place a roof over the existing roadway, cutting off sunlight and breezes. Anyone wanting to imagine the ambience of the resulting roadway need only stand under the NIPA flyover or the Liaquatabad Flyover and imagine it extending for 24km.

The increased traffic load on the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor and the construction of the EE will greatly increase the levels of emissions. The expressway perched above Shahrah-e-Faisal will trap pollution and prevent it from dispersing.

no such plans :)

Due to the toll tax, most drivers will prefer driving via Shahrah-e-Faisal, just imagine driving below the KEE, with no view, no sunlight, pollution, wall chalking :ohno:

KEE will effectively place a roof over the existing roadway, cutting off sunlight and breezes. Anyone wanting to imagine the ambience of the resulting roadway need only stand under the NIPA flyover or the Liaquatabad Flyover and imagine it extending for 24km.

The increased traffic load on the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor and the construction of the EE will greatly increase the levels of emissions. The expressway perched above Shahrah-e-Faisal will trap pollution and prevent it from dispersing.

Not really, it would still be in use by the transporters, for an example, I'm pretty sure Metro Cab can easily get a monthly pass from the toll company to operate their cabs from the Airport to the hotels.

Not to mention people working near Club Road (PIDC and such) would benefit from this aswell.

If a person coming from Gulistan-e-Jauhar to work at Sharea Faisal ignores to pay Rs. 20 (an example), then their nothing more then idiots who would spend half more on the gas to spend driving on Sharea Faisal and its traffic lights and bottlenecks.

I'm not sure about the sunlight and pollution, it will definately have a drastic impact on the area, but "The KEE" is not a supreme wide expressway so its not really going to be the cap on Sharea Faisal.

Regarding wall chalking, if you want my opinion, this may end up as one of the most beautiful elevated expressway as its on Sharea Faisal, a road which already gets a large sum on its "decorations", so expect some nice paintings or art on the pillars :cheers:

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/image/20070831/10.jpg

Pakistan’s plan of a 25-km elevated expressway in Karachi, linking the city’s airport and two ports, has triggered protests in the country. Opponents of the us $350 million project point at financial unviability and a skewed environment impact assessment (eia) report. But the City District Government Karachi (cdgk), the project proponent, argues that the expressway will minimise traffic load.

The project will be built by ijm Corporation Berhard, a Malaysian firm.

Credit discard
The project would require cdgk to pay Pakistani Rs 1 billion to the Malaysian firm over 20 years. cdgk plans to source this amount through toll tax but experts say the option is not viable.

“If you divide us $350 million with 20 years and again with 365 days, and charge Rs 20 from a car as toll tax, you would need to charge a car every three seconds for the payback. That is extremely far-fetched,” said an architect who did not want to be named.

“It will be an additional burden to pay the amount,” he added.

Arif Hasan, Pakistan’s leading town planner who vehemently opposes the project, said: “The eia does not deal, in statistical terms, with the impact of the proposed road networks on the traffic patterns along the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor, the city’s artery. The existing road networks consist of three ring roads, signal-free radial roads, the Lyari Expressway and the Northern Bypass. A study on how the proposed expressway will impact the existing road network and traffic pattern is a must.”

EIA, a nice formality
Hasan rejects the eia’s claims that expressways in South Asian cities have solved traffic problems. “A number of publications by Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, say that such solutions have been expensive, causing considerable environmental and aesthetic degradation and creating immense problems for pedestrians.

Cities like Seoul and Boston are busy demolishing their expressways and flyovers. A number of Latin American cities, like Curitaba and Bogotá, have solved their traffic congestion problems without constructing elevated expressways. Why do we need to follow failed examples?” he asked.

The Institute of Architects, Pakistan, has also come out strongly against the project. In a letter to the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (sepa), it said: “The project has been conceived in isolation by cdgk to reap political capital. It is devoid of any practical or technical justification. The eia report does not address the format prescribed by the official sectoral guidelines for environmental reports on major roads. Besides, it is not required because there is limited traffic between the airport and the two ports.”

Development: diversion ahead
Civic rights activist Ardeshir Cowasjee said the proposed expressway is unnecessary, expensive, and ecologically unfriendly. “Our scarce tax resources would be better spent wisely on making improvements in the basic infrastructure of Karachi. The key to development lies in better planning and stricter implementation of laws,” he said.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/full6.asp?foldername=20070831&filename=news&sec_id=4&sid=24

Frankly, I don't have much confidence in the decision making ability of the City Government in Karachi. There seems to be an ad hoc decision making process without the required planning, as can be seen from the ill-planned, hastily built and low quality projects.

After what happened with the Corridor and is about to happen at many other places, I hope this project doesn't take off. The City Government has no goddamn clue what it's doing and how it's doing it. Apparently they don't have any prudent advisors to the over-zealous mayor.

The mayor is just going nuts, I'm sure hes going to be slapped really hard some day by some resident.

The whole city gets dug up, and after the project gets completed, wer' all happy and the flyover gets cracks in 2 months!

hehehe.....Right... The asphalt has got cracks on already opened track of Sohrab Goth flyover after the recent torrential rains. :)

Elevated Expressway is completely ill planned, because CDGK wants to use this Expressway as Southern Bypass (According to Master plan), where heavy trucks will be allowed to use this expressway 24/7 to go towards Port instead of Mai Kolachi Bypass, this will further increase congestion on this Expressway. Plus we need to pay Toll tax & suffer hurdles during construction, Again I will say that they must look towards alternative.

I dont think the trucks would be allowed to use this, as the Lyari Expressway is being built for that purpose, so that trucks can board the expressway from the Karachi Port and exit at the Super Highway.

And I dont think the transporters would be even paying those tolls on this expressway, just to reduce their cost they drive their trucks through residential areas, you think they would pay tolls!

I dont think the trucks would be allowed to use this, as the Lyari Expressway is being built for that purpose, so that trucks can board the expressway from the Karachi Port and exit at the Super Highway.

And I dont think the transporters would be even paying those tolls on this expressway, just to reduce their cost they drive their trucks through residential areas, you think they would pay tolls!

But according to master plan they will use this expressway as Southern Bypass, it will connect 2 seaports & airport altogether.

Well they do pay toll tax for Highways, it really depends on Law enforcement agencies, at the moment Courts are very strong.

The problem also lies with the expressway itself, its only 4 lanes in total, with trucks on it, there doesnt seem much left for the actual commuter.

I don't think they will allow trucks on the Elevated Expressway. And not on the Lyari Expressway either. Trucks are supposed to go on the Northern Bypass.

I don't think they will allow trucks on the Elevated Expressway. And not on the Lyari Expressway either. Trucks are supposed to go on the Northern Bypass.
Lyari Expressway was MADE for heavy traffic.

Lyari Expressway was MADE for heavy traffic.

No, it was not. In fact, they say that they'll charge a high amount for buses and trucks to discourage them from using the Lyari Expressway. Plus, the gradient for the on-ramps is so steep that heavy vehicles won't be able to climb them easily.

Being only two lanes in each direction, they want to keep it for cars only.

I don't think they will allow trucks on the Elevated Expressway. Trucks are supposed to go on the Northern Bypass.

According to Masterplan, they will use Elevated expressway as Southern Bypass, it will connect 2 seaports & airport altogether.

No, it was not. In fact, they say that they'll charge a high amount for buses and trucks to discourage them from using the Lyari Expressway. Plus, the gradient for the on-ramps is so steep that heavy vehicles won't be able to climb them easily.

Being only two lanes in each direction, they want to keep it for cars only.
Heavy vehicles are always tolled more. And they went from 3 to 2 lanes coz of lack of funds.

Lyari expressway, Elevated expressway (Southern Bypass) and Northern Bypass are for heavy trucks as well.

No, it was not. In fact, they say that they'll charge a high amount for buses and trucks to discourage them from using the Lyari Expressway. Plus, the gradient for the on-ramps is so steep that heavy vehicles won't be able to climb them easily.

Being only two lanes in each direction, they want to keep it for cars only.

I've seen the flyovers of Lyari exrpessway hundreds of times...I dont think the ramps are difficult for Heavy traffic to climb on. Infact, gradient is so low as compared to the newly made flyovers by CDGK(i mean ramps are so long so climb on, making it easy)

Does anyone even use the Northern Bypass then?

I think no...Because northern Bypass concludes a longer journey and also they reach northern bypass from Manghopir Road, thats really far.

The northern Bypass could be the result of long term planning.

Northern bypass is the best thing ever planned for Karachi, it will evolve as a Ring Road. They should ban trucks using Sh Pakistan and you see quality of life in karachi going up few notches.

Which one's Sh. Pakistan?

I think Sharea Pakistan eventually forms into the Super Highway

^^ No, Shahra-e-Faisal forms into National Highway.

^^ No, Shahra-e-Faisal forms into National Highway.
Yeah, but he's talking about Sh. Pakistan.

Yeah I think Sharea Pakistan forms into the Super Highway, if only Karachiite can maybe confirm this.

Yeah I think Sharea Pakistan forms into the Super Highway, if only Karachiite can maybe confirm this.

It amuses me how people with no idea about Karachi's history, geography, layout, topology, population have some how appointed themselves as editors and net police of a blog related to Karachi.

Yeah, I think that as you drive on M. A. Jinnah road towards the Super Highway it's name changes to Jehangir Road after you pass the mazar and round FB Area it is called Shahrah-e-Pakistan before becoming the Super Highway.

It amuses me how people with no idea about Karachi's history, geography, layout, topology, population have some how appointed themselves as editors and net police of a blog related to Karachi.

It's usually the people outside the country who're more interested in what's happening back home and spend time finding out more. People who live in the city often just take it for granted.

It amuses me how people with no idea about Karachi's history, geography, layout, topology, population have some how appointed themselves as editors and net police of a blog related to Karachi.

So theres a harm in that? Should we pull up the maps and everything before we start talking about Karachi?

Please ..

It's usually the people outside the country who're more interested in what's happening back home and spend time finding out more. People who live in the city often just take it for granted.

Actually thats 100% true! :yes:

I became more concered about Pakistan's development when I moved out of the country. Back in Pakistan I did take everything for granted. In a way you can say that I became more patriotic. I started reading Pakistani newspapers, which I previously found to be boring. I started watching Pakistani news channels with interest. I searched and gathered more information about Pakistan. I had more information than my cousisn living in Pakistan.

Actually thats 100% true! :yes:

I became more concered about Pakistan's development when I moved out of the country. Back in Pakistan I did take everything for granted. In a way you can say that I became more patriotic. I started reading Pakistani newspapers, which I previously found to be boring. I started watching Pakistani news channels with interest. I searched and gathered more information about Pakistan. I had more information than my cousisn living in Pakistan.

I KNOW! Its exactly like that with me too! Whenever I talk to my cousins back home I'm always asking them "yaar woh waala flyover ban gaya kya? aur woh underpass" and they are like "what the hell is wrong with you man? Why do you give a hoot?" :lol:

I know more about Karachi then my cousins who live there!

The biggest project in the city, the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), which was to stretch from the Jinnah Bridge all the way to Quaidabad, has been held in abeyance at the moment and could further be delayed, well placed sources told The News here in an exclusive interview.

Sources said that the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) had sent a summary to the federal government along with a proposal which suggests that the Expressway, instead of being constructed directly over Sharea Faisal, should be errected along the railway tracks parallel to the city’s main thoroughfare.

By this, the city government believes that the cost of the project would be reduced by 40 per cent. Moreover, the railway land in question, which at present has lot of encroachments, could be cleared when this project is launched.

The city government sources said that Pakistan Railways (PR) has already agreed to such a proposal. The recommendation in this regard has been sent to the secretary, railways, and very soon a meeting between officials of the city government and PR will be held.

When the city government had initiated this project the PR had refused to give their land for this purpose and demanded billions of rupees for it. Due to this, the city government signed an agreement to construct the KEE above Sharea Faisal. So far, Phase-I of the agreement has been completed which includes feasibility of the project, designing and drawing and, finally, soil testing as per the agreement.

The estimated cost of the KEE is $350 million and it is 24.5 kilometres in length.

Phase-I of the agreement was signed on March 2006 and the KEE was inaugurated by President Musharraf on February 9. Despite the passage of eight months, the Phase—II of the agreement between the IJM Corporation, the firm contracted to build the project, and the city government has yet to be signed.

Informed sources said that securities, guarantees and assurances have been demanded by both the parties. If the securities are not delivered, Phase-II of the agreement could never materialise.

The sources said this was also one of the causes of the delay and that, without Phase-II, groundwork could never begin.

On the other hand, the city government is waiting for a green signal from PR.

The city government has said that in light of this deal they would make provisions for fast tracks and circular railway tracks to the PR.

The 24 kilometre elevated expressway was proposed for Karachi, already with a population of 14 million and spread over an area of 1800 square kilometres, keeping in mind the city’s growing population and subsequent daily growth in the number of vehicles.

The KEE has been opposed by various civic and environmental experts in the city but President Musharraf, in his inaugural address, had urged the environmental experts to let the project materialise and said that nothing will affect the environment.

The sources said the IJM Corporation officials appear to be worried about the changes in the project as these changes have not been officially conveyed to them by the city government.

The biggest project in the city, the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), which was to stretch from the Jinnah Bridge all the way to Quaidabad, has been held in abeyance at the moment and could further be delayed, well placed sources told The News here in an exclusive interview.

Sources said that the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) had sent a summary to the federal government along with a proposal which suggests that the Expressway, instead of being constructed directly over Sharea Faisal, should be errected along the railway tracks parallel to the city’s main thoroughfare.

By this, the city government believes that the cost of the project would be reduced by 40 per cent. Moreover, the railway land in question, which at present has lot of encroachments, could be cleared when this project is launched.

The city government sources said that Pakistan Railways (PR) has already agreed to such a proposal. The recommendation in this regard has been sent to the secretary, railways, and very soon a meeting between officials of the city government and PR will be held.

When the city government had initiated this project the PR had refused to give their land for this purpose and demanded billions of rupees for it. Due to this, the city government signed an agreement to construct the KEE above Sharea Faisal. So far, Phase-I of the agreement has been completed which includes feasibility of the project, designing and drawing and, finally, soil testing as per the agreement.

The estimated cost of the KEE is $350 million and it is 24.5 kilometres in length.

Phase-I of the agreement was signed on March 2006 and the KEE was inaugurated by President Musharraf on February 9. Despite the passage of eight months, the Phase—II of the agreement between the IJM Corporation, the firm contracted to build the project, and the city government has yet to be signed.

Informed sources said that securities, guarantees and assurances have been demanded by both the parties. If the securities are not delivered, Phase-II of the agreement could never materialise.

The sources said this was also one of the causes of the delay and that, without Phase-II, groundwork could never begin.

On the other hand, the city government is waiting for a green signal from PR.

The city government has said that in light of this deal they would make provisions for fast tracks and circular railway tracks to the PR.

The 24 kilometre elevated expressway was proposed for Karachi, already with a population of 14 million and spread over an area of 1800 square kilometres, keeping in mind the city’s growing population and subsequent daily growth in the number of vehicles.

The KEE has been opposed by various civic and environmental experts in the city but President Musharraf, in his inaugural address, had urged the environmental experts to let the project materialise and said that nothing will affect the environment.

The sources said the IJM Corporation officials appear to be worried about the changes in the project as these changes have not been officially conveyed to them by the city government.

Hallalujah! Praise the Lord!

:happy:

:ohno:

Now this will take atleast a year.

" should be errected along the railway tracks parallel to the city’s main thoroughfare"

Ha! I always knew I was smart.

" should be errected along the railway tracks parallel to the city’s main thoroughfare"

Ha! I always knew I was smart.

Wasnt it Karachite who first suggested that route!

Anyways, why are they so hell-bent on making it elevated? From what I can gather, there is ample space on both sides of the track (after removing the encroachments of course), so why not just have that track in the middle and build the lanes on both sides of it?

Wasnt it Karachite who first suggested that route!


Yes sir, you've got good memory. I've been saying that the expressway should run over the railway tracks (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=11816384&postcount=158).

It makes a lot more sense.

OK. You win. Actually, I never suggested this in the first place. My suggestion was much more outlandish (and nigh on impossible and laughable). Move the station out of the city, take the land from PR. No railway tracks in the city anymore. Make that a hugeass 12-lane highway. Make a CBD around it, no shitty 6-story buildings. Basically overshadow Sh-e-Faisal. Just make one track that takes goods from Kemari to outside the city. Use tracks that make no noise. OR have a special lane (double maybe) for heavy traffic just to cater to Kemari. This whole highway should have some light rail going from one end to the other. If I could have my way, this is what I'd do.

OK. You win. Actually, I never suggested this in the first place. My suggestion was much more outlandish (and nigh on impossible and laughable). Move the station out of the city, take the land from PR. No railway tracks in the city anymore. Make that a hugeass 12-lane highway. Make a CBD around it, no shitty 6-story buildings. Basically overshadow Sh-e-Faisal. Just make one track that takes goods from Kemari to outside the city. Use tracks that make no noise. OR have a special lane (double maybe) for heavy traffic just to cater to Kemari. This whole highway should have some light rail going from one end to the other. If I could have my way, this is what I'd do.

And I would have a flying pony YAY! :laugh:

And I would have a flying pony YAY! :laugh:

http://jeremy.zawodny.com/i/pony.jpg

:cry:

It seems that some CDGK guy has been browsing our forum while we were discussing about the issue....or someone amongst us is acutually that guy...or the Mayor himself?? :D

It seems that some CDGK guy has been browsing our forum while we were discussing about the issue....or someone amongst us is acutually that guy...or the Mayor himself?? :D
I'm actually Mustafa Kamal. I thought that was obvious.

I always thought IR was Mustafa Kamal :?

^^ No, he's the terrorist.

Maybe IR is the ex mayor, thats why hes so against Umais (Mustafa Kamal)

You're as good as dead, IR.

hahahha... Good one Fahad. :D

*Sara ka sara sheher khod ker rakh dia hay....aik sarak mukammal hoti nahin hay doosri khod daaltay hain :@*

hahahha... Good one Fahad. :D

*Sara ka sara sheher Chod ker rakh dia hay....aik sarak mukammal hoti nahin hay doosri Chod daaltay hain :@*

the hidden truth :rofl:

^^^ hahahahha buhut ala....yahan to muqabla chal raha hay comedy ka :lol:

By Jamil Khan

http://dailytimes.com.pk/images/2007/11/30/20071130_z1.jpg

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has decided to postpone the construction of the $350-million Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) that was to be built over Shahrah-e-Faisal and is now considering constructing it over the railway tracks that run from City Railway Station to Landhi Junction, Daily Times has learnt.

Sources in the CDGK’s Works and Services Department, which supervises the Tameer-e-Karachi Programme (TKP), told Daily Times that during a recent meeting of the city nazim with Pakistan Railways officials in Islamabad, the divisional superintendent Karachi asked the railways to prepare a feasibility report for this option, and the report will be finalized within the next three to four weeks.

“The initial plan was to construct a 24-kilometer elevated expressway on Shahrah-e-Faisal from Quaidabad to Native Jetty Bridge (Jinnah Bridge) at an estimated cost of $350 million. But, due to reservations expressed by various segments of civil society, the plan has been postponed but not cancelled.”

The project was assigned to a Malaysian firm named IJM Corporation that had already established its office at Kashmir Road and signed the first phase of agreement with the city government last year.

However, reputable architects and members of civil society, at a public hearing on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), expressed apprehensions about the project and pointed out the complications it could create if built over Shahrah-e-Faisal.

They suggested that the city government should consider building the KEE over the railway tracks, which would not only protect the railway infrastructure but would also save commuters a great deal of trouble during the three years the project’s completion would take.

The architects had also questioned the KEE’s financial status as it was supposed to cost $225 million when the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed last year, but without even initiating groundwork on it, the price tag increased to $350 million.

TKP Project Director Rauf Akhter Farooqui, in the same public hearing, had rejected the idea of constructing the expressway over the railway tracks. He had said that it would increase the cost by a couple of billion rupees, as they would need to acquire railway land.

Meanwhile, EDO of the CDGK’s Works and Services Department Nisar Sario has denied that the previous plan has been postponed and a new idea is being conceived. He, however, declined to comment on why the CDGK still hadn’t begun constructing the elevated expressway.




Source: Daily Times (http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\11\30\story_30-11-2007_pg12_2)

* But cautions that building on existing infrastructure not such a good idea

KARACHI: Renowned architect and member of the Pakistan Council of Architects and Urban Planning, Arif Belgaumi, has appreciated the CDGK’s decision to consider constructing the expressway over the railway tracks. Speaking to Daily Times on Thursday, he said that this step showed that the CDGK was not stubborn and was ready to reconsider its decision instead of brushing it under the carpet as they had done earlier. “It is good news that a road like Club Road that has various important buildings will not be disturbed because an elevated expressway is being constructed,” he said. “Since the expressway is being built parallel to Shahrah-e-Faisal, the roads that were to be connected to the KEE can still be connected to it.” Belgaumi said the city government should hold an open forum to debate the new proposal that would be attended by architects, members of the civil society and residents. “Through such a dialogue on a major scale, suggestions from all segments could be included for a viable solution.” Responding to a question, he said that constructing more structures on existing infrastructure would only increase problems. “No traffic congestion is reported on Karsaz Road (Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road) but after the construction of Signal-free Corridor I, there are traffic jams at all times, especially peak hours.” staff report



Source: Daily Times (http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\11\30\story_30-11-2007_pg12_3)

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has decided to postpone the construction of the $350-million Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE) that was to be built over Shahrah-e-Faisal and is now considering constructing it over the railway tracks that run from City Railway Station to Landhi Junction, Daily Times has



not a bad idea i think
but im sure it will b another LEW
issues of moving the population who lives "on" the track

Favourable response from opposition received
Thursday, January 24, 2008
By Azeem Samar

Karachi

At a time when the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) is facing stiff opposition from stakeholders’ in constructing the already delayed Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), representatives of at least three vital opposition quarters in the city have expressed their approval for the 24-kilometre-long proposed project all along Sharae Faisal. The socio-economic and environmental impacts of this project outweigh its much-publicised civic and traffic utility.

According to the initial plan, the KEE will be built from Jinnah Bridge near the Karachi Port to Quaidabad via Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Club Road and Sharae Faisal.

The opposition leader in the City District Council, Saeed Ghani, told The News on Monday that few days back he had himself proposed in the council that the elevated expressway should be built on the railway track all along Karachi’s main artery. “Now from the newspapers, I have learnt that the CDGK has been actively considering altering the plan of the expressway and building it upon the railway track all along Sharae Faisal,” he added.

“During an informal discussion on the proposed project in a council session, I proposed to the council convenor that constructing the expressway on the railway track would be a more feasible option due to the availability of free space. Moreover, shifting the project from Sharae Faisal to the adjoining track would solve the impending depreciation problems for the existing buildings,” said Ghani. The council opposition leader said that building the project over the railway track will also provide the envisaged expressway with a sufficient number of emergency exit points for duly facilitating its would-be commuters. He said the opposition in the city council had always advocated that major projects of infrastructural development should be presented before the council from the start for their proper debate, review, and determination of their feasibility. “Had the project been presented before the council for thorough discussion, we would have proposed formal suggestion for its improvement and materialising its feasibility. Thus, under such circumstances the project would have not met the snags it encountered from the very stage of conceiving it,” he explained.

The leader of the opposition Al-Khidmat group in the city council, Rafiq Ahmad said that the former city nazim, Naimatullah Khan, during his term had conducted an initial feasibility study of the elevated expressway project and according to that, the expressway would have to be built on Sharae Faisal from the Karachi airport to Mehran Hotel. “Had Khan been granted another term as the city nazim he would surely have gone for building the expressway project with the support of foreign consultants,” said Ahmad.

Furthermore, the proposed project envisaged an efficient and feasible solution for the much-aggravated problem of traffic congestions on various main arteries of the city, which often become extremely choked with the deluge of vehicles.

Ali Akbar Gujjar, a candidate from PS-119 in the upcoming elections, whose constituency comprise a major portion of Sharae Faisal from Baloch Colony flyover to Malir Halt, said that in March 1998 during the second term of premiership of his party’s leader, Nawaz Sharif a brainstorming session was held to conceive a project over Sharae Faisal much similar to the KEE. “Later the Nawaz Sharif government developed the programme 2010 for the country’s development and its section for the future plans for Karachi contained a concept for building such a massive project for mitigating the alarming issue of traffic congestions in the metropolis,” said the PML (N) candidate for Sindh Assembly.

Gujjar said that he was also in favour of building the expressway project but its designing, planning, and execution should be done in an immaculate manner so that it should contribute towards the cause of easing out the problem of traffic congestions in the city instead of increasing the burgeoning crisis

Professor Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi of the Civil Engineering Department of NED University said that he had always viewed the KEE project as perfectly feasible from the engineering and construction point of view. He said the country had the required expertise, technical support, and experience in building such major communication project on an indigenous basis. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to build such an expressway. All we need is proper engineering of the project so to make it fully endurable and compatible for all its future uses and utility,” said the senior faculty member, who himself attended the initial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) hearing of the project and is satisfied with the initial plan and feasibility of the expressway.

Asif Siddiqui, leader of the treasury Haq Parast group in the city council, said like the due approval of Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP) 2020 taken from the city council, they had wanted to present the KEE project before the council for proper debate on it at a suitable time. The CDGK’s Executive District Officer, Master Plan, Iftikhar Qaimkhani said the KSDP document recently approved by the city council did contain the plan of building the KEE in the city in its sector plan for improving the road infrastructure in Karachi for the course of next 13 years.

The KEE attracting favourable light from the opposition quarters is a meaningful development much nearer to the holding of upcoming general elections in the context that the same circles of ruling and opposition political parties over the past few years have bitterly disputed against each other in furthering their conflicting views over various proposed civic development projects.

Various concerned NGOs and expertS have expressed serious reservations over building the KEE owing to the hazards that it poses.

good news... hope it will get materialized soon... its a very cool project..!!

By Jamil Khan

KARACHI: The first meeting of the ECNEC (executive committee of the national economic council), which will be held after the formation of the new government, will decide whether the 24-kilometer Karachi Elevated Expressway would be built on Shahra-e-Faisal or along the right side of the railway tracks, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal told Daily Times.

He said that, earlier, the city government had planned to build the Karachi Elevated Expressway on Shahra-e-Faisal from Quaidabad to Jinnah Bridge (Native Jetty), however, former railway secretary Shakeel Durrani had approached the city government and asked it to use the land along the railway track instead.

“The proposal was a good choice for not only the city government, but also for Pakistan Railways. It would help the city government save on costs while the railway authorities would save billions of rupees worth of property from encroachers,” he said.

Kamal mentioned that the railway authorities had asked the city government to remove the encroachments along the right side of the railway tracks from City Railway Station to Quaidabad Junction, and rehabilitate the encroachers on city government land. “We agreed with this, however, the secretary was transferred to Wapda and the project was abandoned for a while,” he said.

He said that President Pervez Musharraf, the former prime minister and other stakeholders had approved the project, and now the final approval will be given during the first ECNEC meeting. He added that the Malaysian firm has set up office in the city and has already started work.

The Karachi Elevated Expressway project was awarded to Malaysian firm IJM Corporation, and it is to complete it at an estimated cost of 400 million dollars in two to three years. The firm will run the project for 20 years, collect toll tax, and then it will be handed over to the city government.

The 24-kilometer expressway consists of six proposed interchanges at Quaidabad, Star Gate, HIR (Karsaz) Road, Shahra-e-Quaideen, Hotel Metropole and Jinnah Bridge.

It may also be mentioned that the city government signed the MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Malaysian firm in March 2006 and the estimated cost at the time was 225 million dollars.




Source: Daily Times (http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\15\story_15-3-2008_pg12_3)

How did the price go up from $225 million to $400 million? I like the idea of constructing it to the right of the railway tracks parallel to Shahrae Faisal. I always hated those encroachments along the railway tracks near the intersection of Shahrae-Faisal and Karsaz.

I wonder how much will be the toll, that will be crucial in determining how many people actually use it.

PR to gift land to CDGK for expressway
Major breakthrough on mega project as federal govt gives green signal

Monday, March 17, 2008
By Fasahat Mohiuddin

Karachi

The federal government has granted permission for the construction of a 24-kilometre long and 25-metre wide expressway from Karachi City to Landhi Railway Station on railway land. Pakistan Railways (PR) will soon issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in this regard.

The project was earlier conceived as a highly controversial elevated expressway, called the Karachi Elevated Expressway (KEE), which was to run above Sharea Faisal from Quaidabad to Jinnah Bridge (Native Jetty).

Informed sources told The News that the caretaker prime minister approved the summary sent to him in this regard, while the Pakistan Railways has agreed to give its land to the CDGK for the purpose as a gift.

Now the expressway will run along the railway line instead of Sharea Faisal, however, it would be given elevation only where required.

According to sources, the CDGK is awaiting the NOC from Pakistan Railways following which the final agreement will be signed after re-evaluating the cost of the project with the Malaysian firm IJM Construction (PVt) Ltd.

The original cost of the project was US$400 million and it is likely to be reduced to around

US$380 million. The IJM construction has established its office in Karachi and its chief executive used to make frequent visits from Malysia to monitor progress on the project.

The psyche behind the project was, and is, to ease the burden on Sharea Faisal, which is the main artery of the metropolis and carries a heavy volume of traffic from all over the city owing to its central interconnection at different points.

The Expressway, aside from providing a much-needed alternative route, thus easing traffic on the road, will also provide a faster route for commuters from the city centre to other points.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=101678

Gifted!! :happy:

http://dailytimes.com.pk/images/2007/11/30/20071130_z1.jpg

Does anyone have a larger version of this graphic?

Does anyone have a larger version of this graphic?
No, coz you don't need it. Finally what was being proposed here is going to happen. Karachiite (you probably don't know him) has disappeared, but it was his dream to build this Expressway here!

Maybe Karachiite's the one who put a gun to the PR guy's head and "made him an offer he couldnt refuse".

No, coz you don't need it. Finally what was being proposed here is going to happen. Karachiite (you probably don't know him) has disappeared, but it was his dream to build this Expressway here!

Of course I need it. From the tiny graphic it looks beautiful. Entry and exit ramps, flyovers, roundabouts. Road infrastructure makes me hot.

A report by the Institute of Architects, Pakistan.

Technical and Conceptual Issues

1. The identities, qualifications, and experience of the technical consultants (whose name is not
given in the report) in the field of transportation and traffic planning are not known or disclosed.
Such a critical and complex issue as the KEE must be addressed with great expertise. It is not
possible for the citizens to participate in a public hearing if they are unaware of identities of the
experts/consultants who have prepared this report.

2. The Karachi Elevated Expressway is project conceived in isolation by the CDGK to reap political
capital. It is devoid of any practical or technical justification. The EIA report is nominally
composed on the format required by the “Sectoral Guidelines for Environmental Reports – Major
Roads” but the project itself is not designed with this document in mind. As such, the EIA report
is largely an attempt to justify the need for the project.

3. The Sectoral Guidelines for Environmental Reports – Major Roads issued by PEPA states that
Direct impacts of road and highways projects result from construction, maintenance
and traffic use. The most significant construction impact are those related to . . . loss
of vegetation cover . . . degradation of vistas or destruction of cultural sites; and
interference with the movements . . . local residents.
Direct road and highway use impacts may include: increased demand for motor fuels;
accidents; displacement of non-motorised methods of transport; increased air
pollution, noise and roadside litter; injury or death to . . . people attempting to cross
roadways.
Siting of road is the most critical decision in road construction. It will largely
determine the type and magnitude of environmental and social impacts that will result
from road construction.”
Decisions on roads siting frequently involve rapid screening and appraisal of many
proposed locations and road specifications, and should involve a wide range of line
agencies and levels of organization.

4. It further lists the matters to be considered in initial site assessment:

If this is a new road reserve, is the corridor location consistent with any strategic transport

plan for the area"

Does the site or corridor provide sufficient land area for present and future requirements?
Can clearing of vegetation of high significance be avoided . . . .?
Does the proposal in this location enhance the efficiency of the transport network

including public transport?

Can the standard and capacity of the surrounding road network accommodate traffic

likely to be generated directly or indirectly by the proposal?

Is the proposal likely to be compatible with surrounding existing or proposed land uses,

particularly any residential, special uses (such as schools, hospitals, community
buildings), any sites of outstanding natural, environmental, agricultural or minerals value?

Is there likely to be a problem with air or water quality, or noise levels due to the

proximity and natural of nearby land uses? Is the proposal likely to pose health risks?

Is the proposal likely to affect heritage values or sites of significance?

Is the highly visible? Can significant visual impacts be avoided?

Is the proposal at the proposed location, in concert with others recent and planned road

networks improvements, likely to cause cumulative problems, or contribute to existing
problems (air, noise, congestion, economic hardship, social issues, inappropriate land
use)?It is our contention that the CDGK has blindly proposed this project without considering any of
the above issues. The Elevated Expressway will have a major negative impact on the city of
Karachi and its environment. The problems it proposes to address will not be solved by this
project but in fact will be further exacerbated.

5. The Elevated Expressway is being developed to ease the current and projected traffic load on
Shahrah-e-Faisal. The project does not take into account the alternative route and the consequent
relief that will be provided by the completion of the Lyari Expressway nor does it consider any
different corridors to divert traffic off of Shahrah-e-Faisal in order to reduce its traffic load. The
EIA provides no study of the effect of the road network under consideration, which includes the
Lyari Expressway, the Northern Bypass, the proposed ring roads and the signal-free corridors.
Listing the number of vehicles at each intersection does not give any idea of the flow of traffic.
Most of the traffic at any given intersection is probably local traffic since the numbers at each
intersection vary so much.

6. The Elevated Expressway is proposed to be a high speed link for freight and passenger traffic
between the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi Harbour and the Port Qasim. Realistically, there
is very limited traffic between the airport and the two ports. Instead there is much greater freight
traffic between the ports and the rest of the country; this traffic is adequately serviced by the
recently completed Northern Bypass. Most of the traffic, currently on Shahrah-e-Faisal is local
traffic commuting to and from the Central Business District. The limitations of the Corridor are
such that the design of the KEE does not cater to the needs of these commuters since there is no
exit ramp between FTC intersection and Jinnah Bridge.

7. It is also not correct to refer to the Elevated Expressway as the Southern Bypass as has been
suggested because it bypasses nothing and in fact ploughs through the densest and most valuable
real estate in Karachi.

8. The Elevated Expressway also does not service any of the Industrial Estates of Karachi. There is
no direct access to the Elevated Expressway from Korangi, SITE and North Karachi except
through residential neighbourhoods. These areas are much better served by the Northern Bypass
and the National Highway.

9. The project is conceptually flawed because it proposes to place a limited access high-speed
expressway over the alignment of Shahrah-e-Faisal and M.T. Khan Road. This would mean that
the Expressway would have the same constraints and limitations as Shahrah-e-Faisal and M.T.
Khan Road and will hardly allow expressway speeds. For Example, the Expressway will travel
over the Bridge at PIDC, squeeze between Hotel Pearl Continental and Hotel Sheraton; curve
around Hotel Metropole and past Hotel Avari. The limitations of the Corridor are such it is
impossible to design the Elevated Expressway as an independent roadway. All the entry and exit
ramps are accessed from the at-grade roadway of Shahrah-e-Faisal. This will lead to unbearable
congestion at points where the Expressway traffic will merge with the at-grade roadway.

10. The Elevated Expressway is completely inappropriate conduit for the movement of heavy freight
vehicles. The limitation of the Corridor and the need to ascend and descend over each existing
flyover and toll plaza will prevent driving at a steady expressway speed. There is a high risk of
accidents involving dangerous and volatile cargoes. There is no mention in the EIA report of any
measure that would address such an eventuality, in terms of access to the accident site by
emergency vehicles, evacuation plans for area residents and other mitigation measures.

11. By constructing the Elevated Expressway, the volume of traffic that can be handled by the
Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor may be increased but the roads leading into Shahrah-e-Faisal and away
from it will remain the same. This will create major traffic congestion of traffic on roads feeding
into the Shahrah-e-Faisal Corridor.

12. An Elevated Expressway is an expensive and inefficient response to the city’s traffic problems.
When the traffic volume exceeds the capacity of the Elevated Expressway, it will not be possible
to widen it by constructing additional lanes. Therefore, this project will have much shorter
productive life span than an on-grade highway.

13. The Elevated Expressway is being proposed as a 4 lane highway with two lanes travelling in
either direction (The 6-lanes claimed in CDGK publications includes entry and exit lanes). There
is no provision for a shoulder or emergency lane. A car breakdown or accident on the Expressway
will result in traffic jams of monumental proportions, with no escape for vehicles and no access
for fire tenders or ambulances except from the six exit points.

14. The placement of the six entry and exit points is not rationally based on the requirements of the
city’s traffic but rather on the limited space available for entry and exit ramps and toll plazas. For
example, there is no entry or exit at Jinnah Airport. Airport traffic will exit the Expressway at Star
Gate intersection and merge with Shahrah-e-Faisal traffic till the JIA intersection. Similarly, there
is no interchange at either Rashid Minhas Road or FTC. Residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal and DHA
would have to exit earlier and merge with Shahrah-e-Faisal traffic. The design is compromised by
the physical limitations of the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor and it will serve to make a bad situation
much worse.

15. The proposed Karachi Master Plan 2020 calls for the development of multiple nuclei, i.e.
additional business districts at different locations throughout the city to reduce commuting time
and pressure on our roads and other resources. The goal of this proposal is to decrease the
dependence on Saddar as the city’s Central Business District. The Elevated Expressway tends to
contradict this goal of the Master Plan as it seeks to concentrate more traffic into the Saddar area.
If the considerable financial resources allocated to this project were applied instead to develop a
Central Business District in Port Qasim it would open up employment opportunity there and
reduce the volume of traffic flowing daily to Saddar.

16. The increase in the number of cars on the roads in Karachi is not a valid justification for the
construction of new highways. The CDGK should opt to urgently focus these same resources to
develop an urban mass transport system.

17. The problem of traffic volume on Shahrah-e-Faisal is the result of mismanagement of the traffic,
disregard of traffic laws, encroachment of service lanes and parking and the inconsistency of the
road width along the Corridor. The CDGK needs to address these concerns first before it can
justify increasing the volume of the Corridor.

18. The need for a freight route through the Southern sections of the city connecting Karachi Port to
the National Highway is metropolitan problem that requires the concerted and coordinated effort
of all the city’s administrating agencies not just the CDGK.

19. The Institute of Architects, Pakistan has proposed to the CDGK that the traffic load on the
Shahrah-e-Faisal Corridor be reduced by constructing an at-grade expressway from Quaidabad
along the Malir River bed for commuter traffic and by further developing the already underconstruction
road through the Korangi Industrial Area as a truck route to National Highway.
Lateral roads would need to be built across the Malir River between Shahrah-e-Faisal and these
two expressways. Both routes would merge at Hino Chowk and continue south through DHA’s
Phase VIII and then along the Clifton Seafront to Keamari. The route along the seafront could be
constructed under ground to preserve the connection of the city to the sea and safeguard
pedestrian access to the beach. The choice to run the route through DHA’s Phase VIII is based on
the fact that the area is still largely undeveloped and can tolerate highway construction. These
alternative options are not considered in the EIA report, presumably because it includes areas that
are not in the CDGK’s jurisdiction.


Environmental Issues

1. The construction of the Elevated Expressway will ruin one of the most attractive boulevards in
Karachi. The construction of the Expressway will result in the loss of most of the trees along
Shahrah-e-Faisal. It will effectively place a roof over the existing roadway, substantially cutting
off sunlight and breezes. Anyone wanting to imagine the ambience of the resulting roadway need
only stand under the NIPA flyover or the Liaquatabad Flyover and imagine it extending for 24km.
The loss of daylight will create a dark and desirable environment under the Expressway. It will
require the entire length to be illuminated 24 hours of the day. There is no study of the impact of
long term exposure to sodium halide lighting. Nor is there any assessment of the electrical load of
this Expressway.

2. The EIA report asserts that the only the vegetation along the median will be affected and this
consists mostly of non-photosensitive hedges. This is nonsense and factually incorrect. There is
no such thing as a hedge that is “not radiation sensitive.” The EIA report further lists in its survey,
nearly 1100 trees on the media of the Corridor including 242 Neem trees. The ‘inference’ that the
trees along the north and south side of the corridor will not be impacted is also inaccurate since
the realignment of the Shahrah-e-Faisal ROW and the construction of the toll plazas and ramps
will necessitate the removal of a large percentage of the trees. In the same vein, it is likely that
many of the pedestrian bridges recently built over the Corridor will need to be demolished in
order to accommodate the widened ROW.

3. The increased traffic load on the Shahrah-e-Faisal corridor and the construction of the
Expressway will greatly increase the levels of automobile emission and resultant pollution in that
area. The Expressway structure perched above Shahrah-e-Faisal will serve to trap the pollution
and will prevent it from dispersing. This will negatively impact the air quality along the entire
length of the Expressway. The promoters of this project have claimed that the pollution will be
halved after the expressway is completed; nothing could be more ridiculous.

4. The Elevated Expressway passes through the heart of Karachi’s thriving commercial, business
and tourist districts. Much of its length is over Shahrah-e-Faisal which was recently designated as
a corridor for high rise commercial development. Numerous high-rise are under construction
along its length with many more in the design phase. After its completion, traffic on the Elevated
Expressway will whiz past the third and fourth floor of these buildings. The high walls of these
building will create a canyon-like effect which will further serve to trap the pollution and amplify
traffic noise. The Expressway will obscure the facades of every building that it will cross and will
greatly hinder people’s access to these buildings and will certainly result in the depreciation of
real estate values and deterioration of public health along its length.

5. The survey of trees along the Corridor is unacceptable. All trees are characterized as either being
between 5-7’ or taller than 7’ in height. While canopies are described as Medium, Large or Extra
Large. It would suggest that this survey was conducted without any measuring instruments. It
gives no indication of many mature and historical trees along the Corridor, especially on Club
Road.

6. Club Road, the worst affected part of the Corridor has the potential to develop into a very fine
pedestrian district with access to nearby shopping areas and other amenities. A theatre and
museum district is also possible near the Arts Council. The road is important part of the history of
Karachi. Its wholesale destruction by the construction of the Expressway is heinous act not
expected of the City Government.

7. The noise and air pollution studies and data quoted in the EIA report are questionable since they
don’t take into account the presence of high-rise buildings on either side that will trap the air
pollution and prevent it to disperse. This condition will only get worse with time as the number of
cars and buildings increase. There is no study or projections of the expected air pollution levels
under the Expressway. Expected levels of air pollution can be inferred by a PEPA study of
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels measured at different parts of Karachi. The highest level of
399mg/m3, found at Karimabad intersection is four times higher to than the worst industrial areas.
The only thing unique about the Karimabad intersection is that it sits under the Liaquatabad
Flyover.

8. The noise level study reveals that the current noise levels are higher than recommended levels in
international standards. The noise pollution after the construction of the Expressway is expected
to be much higher. The proposed mitigation measures by the proponents in the form of suitable
streetscaping and noise barriers are vague, unclear and unacceptable.

9. There is no indication of the cost in social and economic terms of the increased pollution level
with respect to the increase in respiratory and other diseases and the additional burden on the
health services.

Construction Issues

1. The construction of the Elevated Expressway will present serious challenges for the CDGK’s
ability to maintain regular traffic on Shahrah-e-Faisal. Shahrah-e-Faisal is the principal strategic
traffic artery in Karachi and any interruption in its use would be a major hardship to the citizens
of Karachi. Common sense and established practice would suggest that instead of expanding the
same thoroughfare an alternative route should be developed close by so that normal traffic flow
can be maintained during construction.

2. The construction of the Elevated Expressway will cause severe hardship to the residents of
Karachi particularly to the businesses located on Shahrah-e-Faisal. The construction time of 30
months appears to be too optimistic considering the usual pace of construction in Pakistan
(foreign developer notwithstanding). The construction of the Elevated Expressway will need to be
undertaken in sections and traffic detours will need to be provided around the sections under
construction. The CDGK has not shared any plans with the citizens of Karachi on how it plans to
achieve these diversion plans during the construction period and which adjacent neighbourhoods
will be affected.

3. Shahrah-e-Faisal is the main access route to the airport and is heavily used for the movement of
VVIP’s. How will this access be maintained during construction? What diversionary routes will
be used for VVIP traffic at added security risks? What hardships will citizens be forced to endure
in the name of questionable development? There have been no public hearing held to discuss this
with residents and businesses along the Shahrah-e-Faisal / M.T. Khan Road corridor.

4. The EIA report does not adequately outline areas required during construction for the storage of
material and equipment, or areas for the housing on construction workers. There is no mention of
the area required for construction yard activity and precasting work. All environmental issues
related to these activities need to be mentioned in detail.

Financial Issues

1. The price tag for the Elevated Expressway has grown from the initial US$225 Million through
$250 Million to $350 Million (PKR 21 Billion). Figures much higher than these have been quoted
by independent sources. It is essential that the final price tag for this project be firmly fixed and be
publicly acknowledged. The feasibility of this project depends on the recovery of the cost through
tolls. Since the volume of traffic will not grow proportionately to the cost of the project, the cost
of the toll is likely to be enhanced. This will more than likely limit the number of drivers who
would be able to afford the toll.

2. The financial feasibility of the project appears to be unsound. The Elevated Expressway project is
expected to cost US$ 350 Million or PKR 21 Billion. The cost of Rs.875,000,000 per kilometre is
much higher than other comparable at-grade options. The developer is expected to recover their
investment by collecting tolls from all vehicles over the first 20 years of its life. This means that
the Expressway operator will need to collect PKR 1,050,000,000 per year or more than PKR
2,876,000 per day. If the average toll per vehicle per trip is set at PKR20 that would amount to
143,835 cars per day using the Expressway. Divided between the six entry/exit points, that
amounts to almost 24,000 cars per exit per day or one car every 3.6 seconds. Even at Rs.200 per
truck the Expressway will need to carry 14,384 trucks every day. That number of trucks entering
from the two ends will completely tie up the Expressway. The actual number of vehicles will
range between the two numbers quoted above. This estimate also does not include the cost of
overheads, utilities, maintenance and inflation over twenty years. It would seem unlikely that the
CDGK’s financial claims about this project will be realized. The foreign developer of the project
will surely claim the CDGK’s financial guarantee.

Conclusion

The Institute of Architects, Pakistan believes the Elevated Expressway project to be conceptually
flawed, conceived under a miscomprehension of the city’s traffic problems, unlikely to solve the
concerns raised in the EIA and guaranteed to cause irreparable environmental damage to the city of
Karachi. We request the PEPA to reject this EIA on the basis of the above comments and we urge the
CDGK to withdraw this project.
We thank you for this opportunity to submit our comments and will assist you during the public
hearing with a presentation and additional comments.




http://www.shehri.org/subpages/IAP%20Comments%20on%20KEE%20EIA.pdf

They sound like very legitimate concerns to me. Hope the government keeps these points in mind before beginning construction. Especially the point about the toll, which will increase exponentially over the years.

Of course I need it. From the tiny graphic it looks beautiful. Entry and exit ramps, flyovers, roundabouts. Road infrastructure makes me hot.
In that case it's somewhere in this thread. But it's not to scale.

I'll try making one today.

In that case it's somewhere in this thread. But it's not to scale.

Round about what page?

I'll try making one today.

Make one yaar! Try to make it 3D like in that tiny graphic.

Round about what page?



Make one yaar! Try to make it 3D like in that tiny graphic.

Best I could do at this moment, maybe something better next time:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2371/2344441790_31baedca57_b.jpg

:applause:

Good job :D

I'll make a Google Earth one later if I get the time :cheers:

Latest news is that PR will gift their land to CDGK and KEE will be build along the railway track.

Latest news is that PR will gift their land to CDGK and KEE will be build along the railway track.

:old:

:lol:

:old:

I read it yesterday on The News website. :sly:

I think mtf means that the decision has been made to construct it next to the railway line. Prior to this it was just a proposal.

^^^^ it was in newspapers 3 days ago..

look at post # 416 on http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=323543&page=21

^^^^ it was in newspapers 3 days ago..

look at post # 416 on http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=323543&page=21

Instead of posting the whole page, you could have just posted post # 416 like this http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=19076123&postcount=416

^^^^ thanks .. i did think for that .. but wasnt sure abt the reference method for specific post..

I'll make a Google Earth one later if I get the time :cheers:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/2351414074_c41f654eb5_o.jpg

:cheers2:

cha gaye yar Fahad.

cha gaye yar Fahad.

Thank you thank you! :colgate:

Sorry for my partial colour blindness Fahad, is it possible you could change the two colours to totally different (like blue and red or something or yellow and red) for showing the different elevations? Thank you.

WOW! Great work! :applause:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/2351414074_c41f654eb5_o.jpg

:cheers2:


Nice work Fahad.

Thank you :bowtie:

Sorry for my partial colour blindness Fahad, is it possible you could change the two colours to totally different (like blue and red or something or yellow and red) for showing the different elevations? Thank you.

How about this, yellowish and red? :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2352064855_4fd3d9e003_o.jpg

That works, thank you. Good job on this.

Thanks!

great work FK...

Surprisingly how this project met a quiet death :nuts:

hmm.

FK, your flickr link is broken

IJM was inked agreement to build IT Tower and Expressway, if they are not building IT Tower then they will surely not investing in this project.

FK, your flickr link is broken

Yeah I removed them from Flickr, uploaded them on Photobucket:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/Fahadzkhan/2352064855_4fd3d9e003_o.jpg

nice work dude!

It makes me think, why do we have so many airbases in Karachi, anyway?

Faisal base is for the air war college, training officers on war tacticts and for transport of PAF materials/VIPs/officers, Masroor is the operational fighter base and Korangi is just an administrative/technical base.

Yeah I removed them from Flickr, uploaded them on Photobucket:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/Fahadzkhan/2352064855_4fd3d9e003_o.jpg

Cool :banana:

Is this elevated expressway supposed to pass over the already built/under construction flyovers along Sh. Faisal? Is it going to pass over the Karsaz flyover? I don't quite understand at which exact linear line this expressway is supposed to be built. If you keep going along the railway tracks that pass next to the PAF base, you'll end up having to go over the Baloch colony flyover.

It was supposed to go over the flyovers, if it was construction on railway tracks then it would have been hard to make and adjust the intersections for it.