M-9 motorway (Pakistan)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2015) |
 | |
|---|---|
| ایم ٩ موٹروے | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NHA | |
| Length | 136 km (85 mi) |
| Existed | 2018–present |
| Major junctions | |
| South-west end | Karachi (M10) |
| North-east end | Hyderabad (M6) |
| Location | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Major cities | Karachi Nooriabad Jamshoro Hyderabad |
| Highway system | |
The M-9 (موٹروے 9) or the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (کراچی-حیدرآباد موٹروے) is a 136-km long 6-lane motorway connecting the cities of Hyderabad and Karachi in the Sindh province of Pakistan.[1] It is a part of Pakistan's Motorways Network. M-9 is an upgrade of the previous Karachi-Hyderabad Super Highway, which was upgraded by adding an extra lane on each side and was completely re-surfaced.[2]
A groundbreaking ceremony of the M-9 Motorway was held on 11 March 2015 with planned a completion date of August 2017; however, a deadline for M-9 had slipped and the new inauguration was held in April 2018.
History
Motorways were first proposed in Pakistan by the government of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan's first motorway, the 367 km 6-lane M-2, was inaugurated in November 1997, making it the first motorway in South Asia. The M-2 has been followed by the completion of two additional motorways. In addition to the 54-kilometer 4-lane M-3, there is a 154-kilometer 6-lane M-1.[3] On 11 March 2015, an inauguration ceremony was held for the M-9 Motorway with a planned completion date of August 2017. However, the deadline had slipped and the new inauguration occurred in April 2018. [4]. Pakistan's M9 motorway links Hyderabad and Karachi along its 138 km length in the Sindh province.
Features
There are either six-lane or four-lane motorways with speed limits of 80 km/h for heavy transport vehicles and 120 km/h for light transport vehicles. For safety and to prevent unauthorized access, they feature a central median and are fenced on the outside. In Pakistan, fast-moving vehicles are the only vehicles allowed to enter motorways. Vehicles that are slow-moving are not allowed on motorways, including pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and animal-driven carriages. However, heavy motorbikes are used for patrolling purposes by the Pakistani National Highway & Motorways Police. At the end of August 2011, there were 679.5 km of motorways in operation in Pakistan. An additional 278 km are under construction and at least 1,200 km more planned. The Pakistan Motorway System is part of Pakistan's National Trade Corridor Project that is designed to link Pakistan's Arabian Sea ports, including Karachi Port, Port Bin Qasim, and Gwadar Port, to the rest of the country and to Afghanistan and central Asia. [5]
- 136 km 6 lane facility.
- 275 km 2x lane service road on either side.
- 8 Interchanges.
- Karachi and Hyderabad toll plazas into 24 lane facilities.
- Weigh stations on new interchanges to check overloading
- Construction of 2 service areas.
- Construction of 2 trauma centers.
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.[6] In February 2022, the federal government decided to further upgrade the motorway from six to eight lanes due to cater to high traffic volume.[7]
_Jamsshoro_Toll_Plaza_Overfly.jpg)
See also
- Motorways of Pakistan
- National Highways of Pakistan
- Transport in Pakistan
- National Highway Authority
- Transport in Karachi
- Lyari Expressway
- M-10 motorway (Pakistan)
References
- ^ "List of Motorways in Pakistan". INCPak. 25 December 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ APP (29 October 2020). "Reconstruction of M-9 as per international standards: Murad Saeed". Profit by Pakistan Today. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Motorways Pakistan". Motorways Pakistan.
- ^ "Pakistan's Super Highway M-9 project". https://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/pakistan-superhighwa/. RoadTraffic.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=|url=(help) - ^ "Motorways Of Pakistan". Infopedia Pk.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ "New Hyderabad Toll Plaza on M-9 is the largest in the country". Global Village Space. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ "Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway to be upgraded". The Express Tribune. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
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| Under Construction | ||
| Planned | ||
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