Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar speaking at the stone-laying ceremony of the M9-N5 Link Road interchange in Kathore said that the Link Road had been completed, but it needed to be integrated with the Motorway to make it fully operational for which he laid the foundation. The ceremony of the M9—N5 Link Rod interchange was held at Kathore on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by Information Minister Muhammad Ahmed Shah, Secretary Works Muhammad Nawaz Sohoo, DG PPP Unit Asad Zamin, Director PPP Unit Sajjad Gilal, PD M9-N5 Link Road Muhammad Ali Memon, SE Works Khurram Mughal.
He said that he had laid the foundation of interchange on the M9. He added that the intersection to bridge the final gap in the traffic flow originating from Karachi’s industrial arteries through the M9-N5 Link Road Project, extending its reach upcountry.
The CM said that with the culmination of the project, traffic would seamlessly navigate to the M9, streamlining the transportation network. He said that the road leading to this interchange M9-N5 Link Road Project was constructed in record time, and the facility was ready. “With the integration of this missing link, the whole project will be fully operational, effectively realizing the project’s objectives,” he said. The M9-N5 link road stands as a milestone as the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Pakistan, awarded solely based on traffic revenue, without any equity, Minimum Revenue Guarantee, or any form of financial support from the provincial government.
The Concessionaire for the M9-N5 Link Road Project not only financed the project independently but also committed to managing operations and maintenance for the next 23 years using its resources, additionally, the Sindh government would reap the benefits of traffic revenue throughout this period. Justice Baqar said that due to unforeseen delays in the finalization of interchange construction, our project revenues have taken a hit, leading the Sindh government to step in and compensate the Concessionaire for the incurred loss of revenue. He urged the DG FWO to prioritize the connection of traffic to the M9 through slip lanes on a first-priority basis.
“This crucial step will not only alleviate the ongoing financial burden on the Sindh government but also ensure the seamless progression of our project,” he said and added that in line with our commitment, the provincial government was prepared to promptly provide the required amount of funds for construction as per the existing agreement. The CM hoped that the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to complete the interchange within the stipulated 12-month timeline outlined in the contract. Earlier, the chief minister performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Interchange. Secretary Works briefing the CM said that the objective of the M9-N5 Link road project was to provide an improved route for traffic moving from National Highway, N-5 to the Superhighway, M-9 and vice versa and thereby avoid movement of traffic through congested areas in Malir, Bin Qasim and Landhi Towns.
The link road would provide for safer movements of both the through traffic using the link between National Highway and Superhighway and the additional traffic generated due to ongoing developments along the road including the education city and other residential/commercial projects in future, The Project is a 22-km four-lane dual-carriageway which Connects National Highway N5 to Motorway M9. It would serve as the Commercial Corridor providing upcountry access to the traffic emanating from Port Qasim and, Industrial areas of Landhi, Korangi, & Steel Mill.
