KARACHI: Traffic congestion in the metropolis may ease in the coming years as the 57-kilometre Northern Bypass is set to be expanded into a six-lane, 134-kilometre M-10 Motorway that will connect Karachi directly to the M-6 Motorway at Jamshoro through the Kirthar Mountain Range.

According to officials from the communications ministry, the project is designed to divert heavy goods vehicles away from Karachi’s main arteries, reducing pressure on urban traffic flow. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, speaking during a meeting with Federal Communications Minister Aleem Khan at the CM House, said both the M-6 and M-10 projects were “vital not only for Sindh but for the country’s economy”. He noted that M-6 would unlock opportunities for the youth of interior Sindh through enhanced connectivity, while M-10 Motorway would resolve Karachi’s traffic bottlenecks “once and for all”.

The meeting, attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Haji Ali Hassan Zardari, senior federal and provincial officials, and National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sahibzada Shahryar Sultan, was informed that the M-6 had received final approval under the Public Sector Development Programme. The Rs363 billion project, approved by Ecnec, would be implemented in five phases, with the Islamic Development Bank financing two sections and a Chinese firm expressing interest in undertaking all five.

Officials highlighted that the M-6 would complete Pakistan’s north–south motorway backbone from Peshawar to Karachi, enhancing trade and logistics by reducing travel time, improving safety and facilitating port-to-upcountry connectivity.

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The meeting was also briefed on the M-10 project, which has evolved from a bypass upgrade into a two-part mega scheme. Plans include converting the 34km Karachi Northern Bypass from the ICI Bridge to Hamdard University Chowk into an eight-lane motorway, while a new 134km six-lane motorway will run through the Kirthar Range to connect Hamdard University Chowk with the M-6 at Jamshoro. Additionally, a 23km stretch between Hamdard University Chowk and the M-9 will be upgraded to six lanes, creating a high-capacity corridor from Karachi Port to the M-6.

The project is currently under feasibility review by NESPAK. Federal Minister Khan said its core objective was to decongest Karachi by providing a direct, high-speed link between the port and the national motorway network. CM Murad welcomed the federal government’s support and stressed that work on the long-delayed M-6 Hyderabad–Sukkur section should begin soon to facilitate both public and freight traffic.