M-9 motorway (Pakistan)

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M-9 motorway
ایم ٩ موٹروے
Karachi–Hyderabad motorway
Map
National highway (M-9) Jamsshoro Toll Plaza Overfly.jpg
Route information
Maintained by NHA
Length136 km (85 mi)
Existed2017–present
Major junctions
South-west end Karachi
North-east end Hyderabad
Location
CountryPakistan
Major citiesKarachi
Nooriabad
Jamshoro
Hyderabad
Highway system
← M-8→ M-9

The M-9 motorway or the Karachi–Hyderabad motorway (Urdu: کراچی–حیدرآباد موٹروے) is a north–south motorway in the Sindh province of Pakistan, connecting Karachi to Hyderabad.[1] The six-lane road is 136 kilometres long,[2][3] and caters to the commercial traffic originating from the Karachi Port and Port Qasim. Daily traffic count is around 30,000.[4]

The motorway is an upgrade of the old Super Highway. The Frontier Works Organization executed the project on a build–operate–transfer basis for 25 years.[5][6]

History

Motorways were first proposed in Pakistan by the government of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan's first motorway, the 367 km six-lane M-2, was inaugurated in November 1997,[7][8] making it the first motorway in South Asia.

On 11 March 2015, an inauguration ceremony was held for the M-9 Motorway with a planned completion date of August 2017. The six-lane, four-interchange road linking Karachi to Hyderabad was estimated to cost Rs. 36 billion.[9] The interchanges at Dadabhai, Industrial Valley, Nooriabad, and Thana Bola Khan, were to enable Tharparkar, Jimphir, Keenjhar, and other areas to be connected as well.

On 3 February 2017, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a completed section of the motorway from Loni Kot to Lucky toll plaza.[10] At that time, about half part of the route (75 km out of 136 km) had been completed, with the other half having an expected completion date of March 2018.[11][12]

On 24 December 2020, a new toll plaza was inaugurated on the M-9. With 24 lanes (6 entry, 18 exit points), it is the largest toll plaza in Pakistan.[13] In February 2022, the federal government decided to further upgrade the motorway from six to eight lanes to cater to the high traffic volume.[2]

Route

M-9 begins north of Karachi near the junction of the Karachi Northern Bypass (also known as M-10). The Karachi Northern Bypass and this road are connected via a trumpet interchange. After that, it leaves the city. Through a link road, it forms a junction with the N5 on a northeast track. The highway exits Karachi and enters the Thar Desert. Located outside the city of Hyderabad, the motorway ends at a cloverleaf interchange in Kotri. Afterwards, it merges with the N-5.

Features

As with other motorways in Pakistan, speed limits of 80 km/h for heavy transport vehicles and 120 km/h for light transport vehicles are in place on M-9. For safety and to prevent unauthorised access, it features a central median and is fenced on the outside. Only fast-moving vehicles are allow to enter, therefore, vehicles that are slow-moving are not allowed, including pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and animal-driven carriages. However, heavy motorbikes are used for patrolling purposes by the Pakistani National Highways & Motorways Police.

The motorway has a two-lane service road on either side.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The roads that bind us". The Express Tribune. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b Hanif, Haseeb (12 February 2022). "Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway to be upgraded". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Karachi- Hyderabad Motorway (M-9)". National Highway Authority. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b Wasif, Sehrish (12 February 2018). "CPEC Western route to be completed by end of this year". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Multiple Toll Plazas on Karachi-Hyderabad M-9 to be replaced with one: Murad". Business Recorder. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  6. ^ Akbar, Ali (11 March 2015). "PM Nawaz inaugurates Karachi-Hyderabad motorway". Dawn. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  7. ^ Kareem, Abdul (25 November 2017). "November 26, 1997: New motorway opens in Pakistan". Gulf News. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  8. ^ "BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Pakistan opens first motorway". BBC News. 26 November 1997. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  9. ^ "PM performs ground-breaking ceremony for Karachi-Lahore motorway". The Express Tribune. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  10. ^ Naeem, Ali (13 April 2017). "Commuters suffer as work on Karachi-Hyderabad motorway moves at snail's pace". Geo News. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  11. ^ "PM inaugurates Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway". Geo News. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  12. ^ Ali, Naeem (25 April 2017). "M9 motorway road broken months after Pm's inauguration". Geo News. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  13. ^ "New Hyderabad Toll Plaza on M-9 is the largest in the country". Global Village Space. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.