Shahrah-e-Quaideen to lose two traffic signals as KMC plans U-turns near Allah Wali Chowrangi

Shahrah-e-Quaideen, one of Karachi's busiest links between Shahrah-e-Faisal and Mazar-e-Quaid, is set to lose two traffic signals. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) plans to replace them with two U-turns, KMC Director General of Engineering Tariq Mughal said, according to ProPakistani. He said planning had reached its final stage.

What changes

• New U-turn 1: before Allah Wali Chowrangi.
• New U-turn 2: between Allah Wali Chowrangi and Noorani Chowrangi.
• The two signals on this stretch, which KMC says interrupt the flow, will be removed.
• The road will then run signal-free up to the Society Office.
• The signal near Khudadad Colony stays, so the whole road will not be signal-free.

The aim is to speed up traffic heading from Shahrah-e-Faisal towards Mazar-e-Quaid, a route that backs up at rush hour and on days of events at the Mazar.

What is not yet known

KMC has not announced a start date, a completion date or the cost. No traffic diversion has been notified yet; we will add it here when it is.

What it means for drivers

• Fewer stops, longer turns. Drivers who now turn right at the signals will have to go past the junction and use a U-turn, which adds a short distance but should cut waiting time.
• Watch for changed lanes near Allah Wali Chowrangi once work begins: U-turn slots usually take the fast lane.
• Fuel: stop-start driving uses more petrol than steady speed. See what your daily commute costs with the fuel cost calculator, and today's price on the petrol price page.