Sindh Govt Approves New Bridge

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has approved the construction of a new bridge between Sukkur and Rohri to ease growing traffic pressure in one of the province’s busiest urban corridors.

The decision was taken during the 51st meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Board at the Chief Minister’s House, where multiple infrastructure projects and policy changes were cleared.

Officials said the new bridge will provide an alternate connection between Sukkur and Rohri and help reduce the load on the historic Lansdowne Bridge, which currently handles most of the movement between the two cities.

During the meeting, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said Sukkur and Rohri have effectively turned into a connected economic zone, with a large number of people travelling daily from Rohri, Saleh Pat, and Pano Aqil to Sukkur for work, education, healthcare, and trade.

At present, the Lansdowne Bridge remains the main crossing point, while the Sukkur Barrage also supports traffic flow. However, authorities said the barrage is undergoing rehabilitation and will remain closed for vehicular movement until at least 2027, adding further pressure on the existing route network.

The chief minister was told that more than 30,000 vehicles use the Lansdowne Bridge every day. Because of the bridge’s age and structural limitations, heavy traffic, especially vehicles heading towards major highway links such as N-5 and M-5, faces restrictions, resulting in congestion and delays during busy hours.

To move the project forward, Murad Ali Shah approved funding through the Project Development Facility for the hiring of consultants. The bridge will be developed under the Public-Private Partnership model by the Sindh Local Government Department.

According to the plan, the new structure will be built north of Bukkur Island and will stretch about 1.5 kilometres. It is being designed as a multi-lane bridge capable of handling heavy commercial traffic, with space also allocated for pedestrians.

The board also reviewed progress on the 39-kilometre Shaheed Bhutto Expressway, which officials said is over 88 percent complete. The chief minister directed departments to ensure the road becomes fully operational by April 2026. Approval was also given for solar-powered streetlights on a 4.5-kilometre elevated stretch near Sammu Goth, along with a 25-year maintenance plan.

In addition, the board cleared the feasibility study and detailed design of the Kathore Interchange to improve access at the endpoint of the expressway.

The meeting also approved new rules aimed at tightening the public-private partnership framework, including the rejection of bids that differ from estimated project costs by more than 15 percent. A formal process for handling unsolicited private-sector proposals was also introduced, including a right of first refusal mechanism.