ISLAMABAD - The National Highway Authority (NHA) has constituted a team to conduct a survey of its entire road network to ascertain losses due to heavy rains and floods.
NHA is the custodian of a more than 12000 kilometre long road network of national highways and motorways that connects all the provinces with each other. The recent rains have damaged the national road network substantially but there was no proper estimation till to date in terms of financial and physical losses.
NHA headquarters has constituted a committee this week comprising the Director Road Assets Management Directorate (RAMD), Director Monitoring and Evaluation (M&I), Deputy Director RAMD, Deputy Director M&I and concerned Directors and the Deputy Directors of the maintenance units to conduct a details survey of damaged roads.
When contacted, one of the committee members informed that the first priority of the road authority was to restore the damaged road network to maintain traffic flow and the field formations do their best to keep its network operational, and for that purpose, all the logistics were employed to avoid maximum inconvenience.
He said once the survey would be completed the road authority would move to start the rehabilitation of its road network in light of the data taken in this survey.
According to the official details, the road network in all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan sustained losses due to the heavy rains and floods in recent days.
In Sindh, N-5 (Karachi-Sukkur-Sabaz Ali) was damaged as the water accumulated at 23 locations of this road but now it is open for traffic.
The N-55 (Kotri – Dadu -Kashmore) is damaged significantly as Dadu – Meher section & Sehwan is submerged under water while bridge at Sehwan also damaged. The traffic is suspended but according to NHA field office it will be opened upon recession of water level.
At present, the traffic of this road has been diverted to N-5 through Dadu – Moro Bridge & Qazi – Amri Bridge
The water accumulation, minor damages were also reported on N-65 (Sukkur – Jacobabad) but now road is open for Traffic while N-455 (Larkana - Qambar -Shahdadkot) is also made operational. The N-120 (Hyderabad – Mirpurkhas - Umerkot) was also damaged and 35 meter long road portion was washed between Mirpurkhas and Umerkot Road but now it is opened for traffic through diversion.
In KP, a portion of N-5 from Khairabad to Torkham was damaged but it is now open for traffic. On N-50 (Kuchlak-Zhob-DI Khan) approach roads and Sagu Bridge was washed out but traffic was revived by installing temporary steel bridge.
An abutment of bridge on N-15 (Manshera-Naran-Chilas) was damaged but now traffic is open on this road. The N-35 (Hasan Abdal-Dasu-Gilgit-Khunjrab) faced land sliding on multiple places but same were cleared and road was made operational for commuters.
Meanwhile, N-45 (Nowshera-Dir-Chitral), N-55 (Ramak-DI Khan- Peshawar), N-90 (Khawazakhela-Alpuri- Besha), N-140 (Chitral-Shandur-Gilgit) and S-1 (Jaglot-Skardu), N-95 (Chakdara-Kalam) were also damaged due to the floods, however, same are opened now for the traffic.
In Baluchistan, on N-40 (Lakpass-Taftan), N-50 (Kuchlak- Mughal Kot) and N-65 (Kolpur to Jacobabad) approach roads to several bridges and some portions of the road were damaged but traffic is restored by NHA.
Massive landslides were reported in Wangu hills area of M-8 (Kuzdar-Qubu Saeed Khan) and damages also caused to the N-25 (Karachi-Quetta-Chaman) between Hub to Bela but both roads are not opened for the traffic.
In Punjab, N-55 suffered flood damage on two locations near Taunsa and Rajhanpur (Kashmore-Ramak and Fazilpur-Rajanpur). The landslides also occurred in Fort Munro area of N-70 on Multan-DG Khan- Rakhni) but traffic is restored on all three roads.
Now at present, almost all the aforementioned roads have been cleared for the traffic but their proper maintenance is needed for which the survey is being conducted.