K-IV work delays University Road opening until Dec 31

Nearly a year after work began, however, the pipeline installation remains unfinished, raising questions about the pace of a much larger undertaking to lay 94 kilometres of pipelines across the metropolis.

The delay has added to the difficulties faced by commuters and businesses along University Road, where work on the Red Line bus rapid transit project has been under way since 2021. One carriageway remains unusable for traffic, turning routine travel into a daily ordeal.

Under the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP), 96-inch and 72-inch pipelines are being laid between Nipa Chowrangi and Hassan Square. The work was originally scheduled for completion in February 2026 but has repeatedly missed deadlines.

The ongoing excavation has also disrupted existing water, sewerage and gas infrastructure on several occasions, causing recurring water supply problems for residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Only last week, a 33-inch pipeline was damaged, leaving several localities without a fully restored water supply.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, contractor Abdul Rehman said the work had been complicated by the presence of existing water and sewerage lines, as well as K-Electric and Sui Southern Gas Company infrastructure. He added that workers had to proceed cautiously to protect these utilities while installing the new pipelines.

Around 40 feet of the 96-inch pipeline remained to be laid, he added, expressing hope that the work would be completed by the end of December or during the first week of January. KWSSIP Project Manager Faisal Javed acknowledged the delay but said work was progressing.

He confirmed that the augmentation project between Nipa Chowrangi and Hassan Square would be completed by December 31, 2026. Javed said a high-tension K-Electric line at one location had contributed to the delay. Excavation of around 100 feet would be required at the site, a process expected to take approximately 45 days because of the sensitive nature of the work.

He added that the matter had been discussed with K-Electric.

He said hydro-testing of the installed pipelines between Hassan Square and Baitul Mukarram Mosque had been completed successfully, with no problems detected around the newly laid lines., a 1.4-kilometre stretch between Hassan Square and Baitul Mukarram Mosque would be handed over for Red Line road construction in the first week of November, while the remaining 1.3 kilometres would be handed over by December 31.