KARACHI, PAKISTAN – In a major development aimed at providing much-needed relief to Karachi’s frustrated motorists, the Sindh government has officially decided to reopen the mixed traffic lane on University Road in the coming days. The decision comes as a strategic move to ease severe traffic gridlocks triggered by the prolonged construction of the multi-million-dollar Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
The announcement was made during a high-level review meeting on Friday, chaired by Sindh Senior Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon.
Addressing Karachi’s “Corridor of Misery”
University Road, which hosts major educational institutions like Karachi University, NED University, and the Federal Urdu University, has been a hotbed of traffic chaos since excavation began in 2022. Deemed a vital artery for the megacity, the ongoing construction restricted space, leaving commuters grappling with dust, delays, and choked bottlenecks.
According to reports from The Nation, the provincial administration is now fast-tracking the rehabilitation of the mixed-traffic lanes along the corridor to normalize traffic flow ahead of the project’s full completion.
Read more: Man Loses Eye Near karachi BRT Site, Seeks Rs. 178.7 Million
Strict Timelines: End of July Target
This announcement follows an aggressive push by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who recently conducted early-morning surprise inspections of the Red Line BRT corridor, spanning from Peoples Chowrangi to Safoora Chowrangi.
During his visits, the Chief Minister issued on-site directives to finish all mixed-traffic rehabilitation work swiftly. While a judicial order from the Sindh High Court (SHC) had previously mandated a strict 60-day deadline to restore the critical road, Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon has now set the end of July 2026 as the target to fully reopen University Road to all vehicular traffic.
Read more: Karachi Roads, BRT, and Budget 2026: What Commuters Should Know – PakWheels Blog
Inside the $500 Million Red Line BRT Project
The Red Line BRT is one of Pakistan’s most anticipated mass-transit mega-projects, spanning a massive 26-kilometer signal-free corridor from Malir Halt and Model Colony to Numaish Chowrangi and Tower.
Key features of the upcoming mass transit line include:
- Massive Transit Capacity: Designed to directly benefit over 1.5 million passengers daily once fully operational.
- Eco-Friendly Tech: The Red Line will feature Pakistan’s first-of-its-kind zero-emission fleet powered entirely by biogas produced from cattle waste.
- Multilateral Funding: Co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), totaling over $503 million.
- Interconnected Network: The Numaish underpass will seamlessly integrate the Red Line with the already operational Green Line BRT.
Read more: Sindh to Expand Karachi Bus Fleet, Speeds Up Red Line BRT – PakWheels Blog
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