Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Bilawal Opens 39‑Km Shahrah‑e‑Bhutto and Lays Foundation for Port Corridor

A PPP plan seeks to shift heavy freight off city roads by building a four‑lane link to Karachi Port to speed cargo movement and ease urban congestion.

Overview

  • The inauguration, which took place on Friday, May 22, 2026, opened the roughly 39‑kilometre, six‑lane Shahrah‑e‑Bhutto expressway to traffic after staged openings since 2025.
  • Sindh officials say the expressway was built as a controlled‑access corridor with six interchanges, two main toll plazas, five weigh stations and a 100 km/h design speed at an estimated cost of about Rs54.8 billion.
  • At the ceremony Bilawal also laid the foundation for a proposed 16.5‑kilometre Qayyumabad‑to‑Karachi Port corridor that the province plans to deliver as a PPP four‑lane carriageway at an estimated Rs64–65 billion.
  • Government leaders say the new routes will divert heavy and port‑bound traffic away from inner‑city arteries such as Shahrah‑e‑Faisal, cut travel times between Qayyumabad and the M‑9 to about 30 minutes, and improve logistics for importers and exporters.
  • Officials framed the works as part of roughly Rs1.7 trillion in Karachi projects and announced other PPP initiatives including a proposed Keti Bandar port, a Sindh International Financial Centre and a defense production zone, all currently at planning stages.