KMC Begins Work on Rs1 Billion Nishtar Road-Garden Flyover

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has initiated steps to construct a flyover at Nishtar Road and Garden Chowrangi at an estimated cost of Rs1 billion, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said, according to The Express Tribune, published 13 August 2026. The project has been targeted for completion within a year, though the final timeline will be confirmed after the contract is awarded.

What the Flyover Will Connect

The proposed flyover will connect the Lyari Expressway with Garden Road and Nishtar Road, creating a faster traffic corridor aimed at easing congestion at the busy intersection and improving access to the Old City area and major commercial centres. Wahab made the announcement while chairing a high-level meeting of the KMC Engineering Department at municipal headquarters, directing relevant departments to complete technical and administrative requirements and expedite the tendering process so construction can begin as soon as possible. KMC Municipal Commissioner Abrar Jaffer confirmed the one-year completion target during the same meeting.

Part of a Related Road Network Already Under Construction

This flyover doesn't sit in isolation. Mayor Wahab has separately confirmed on record that KMC is constructing Mirza Adam Khan Road, a project designed to connect Lyari, Mauripur, and Machar Colony with Garden — and explicitly intended to ease the burden on the same internal streets, Nishtar Road and MA Jinnah Road, that the new flyover targets. Together, the two projects point to a coordinated push by KMC to decongest Karachi's Old City corridor from multiple directions rather than relying on a single intervention.

Karachi's Broader Flyover and Underpass Push in 2026

The Nishtar Road-Garden flyover is the latest in a string of road infrastructure projects KMC and the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) have pushed through in 2026. In June, Dawn reported that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the Azeempura Flyover, completed by KMC in just 90 days against a 100-day target, at a cost of Rs1.562 billion, improving traffic flow between Shahrah-i-Bhutto, Shah Faisal Colony, Sharea Faisal, and Jinnah International Airport. The Munawar Chowrangi Underpass in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, a roughly 500-metre, 24-foot-wide KDA project, was also opened to traffic in late July, completed in 16 months at an estimated cost of Rs2 billion — ahead of the original 24-month schedule, according to Business Recorder's coverage of the inauguration. Earlier in the year, Dawn reported that Chief Minister Shah had directed the mayor to complete both the Munawar Chowrangi and Karimabad underpasses within a month after the projects, both launched back in 2023, faced significant delays — Karimabad due to technical snags and Munawar Chowrangi still at only 75 percent physical progress at the time despite Rs300 million already released against its Rs2.02 billion budget.

Not every proposed project has gone ahead on schedule, however: a planned flyover at the Disco Bakery intersection in Gulshan-i-Iqbal was put on hold, Mayor Wahab confirmed, after the area's elected Jamaat-i-Islami town chairman requested the city administration not to proceed. The project had drawn public debate even before the hold, with residents, urban planners, architects, and transport experts questioning whether another elevated road would reinforce car-centric development at the expense of pedestrians and public transport. That episode is a useful reminder that not every announced Karachi flyover proceeds to construction on its original timeline — a pattern KMC's own project history this year, including the delayed Karimabad and Munawar Chowrangi underpasses, reinforces directly.

What This Means for the Old City and Nearby Property

If delivered on schedule, faster traffic flow between Garden, Nishtar Road, Saddar, the Old City, and adjoining commercial and residential areas could meaningfully ease congestion for thousands of daily commuters and traders in one of Karachi's most historically dense commercial zones. Property and business owners along the Nishtar Road-Garden corridor should watch the tendering process and formal contract award as the next concrete milestone, since — as with the Gulshan-i-Iqbal flyover that was ultimately shelved — a mayoral announcement to begin technical and administrative steps is an earlier-stage commitment than a signed, funded construction contract.

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Sources

1. The Express Tribune — "KMC begins workon Rs1b Nishtar Road-Garden flyover", 13 Aug 2026: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2623597/kmc-begins-workon-rs1b-nishtar-road-garden-flyover
2. Dawn — "Azeempura Flyover inaugurated Karachi with Rs1.56bn cost", 14 Jun 2026: https://www.dawn.com/news/2007886
3. Dawn — "Karachi's Munawar Chowrangi underpass opened to traffic", 27 Jul 2026: https://www.dawn.com/news/2018619
4. Dawn — "CM Sindh asks mayor to complete two key underpasses in a month", 24 Feb 2026: https://www.dawn.com/news/1975267
5. Business Recorder — "Minister, Karachi mayor inaugurate 'Munawar Chowrangi Underpass'": https://www.brecorder.com/news/40431887/minister-karachi-mayor-inaugurate-munawar-chowrangi-underpass