Rains-hit Hub bridge, bypass: NHA approves reconstruction plans

ISLAMABAD: The National Highways Authority (NHA) Executive Board approved on Wednesday the construction of Hub Bridge and Bypass which collapsed during the ongoing rains and floods.

The Executive Board Meeting of the NHA has approved important measures on the direction of the Federal Minister of Communications and Postal Services, Asad Mahmood.

The 403rd EBM of the NHA was held under the chairmanship of the Chairman NHA Captain Muhammad Khurram Agha (retired) at the head office of the authority in which recent heavy rains and floods across the country and the current situation of the NHA network reviewed.

The NHA Executive Board approved the rebuilding of the Hub Bridge connecting Sindh with Balochistan.

The bridge on the Hub River collapsed on Tuesday due to heavy rains and floods.

However, the traffic continues through the Hub Bypass. In addition, the NHA Executive Board meeting also approved the construction of Hub Bypass.

The construction of Hub Bridge and Hub Bypass will benefit the people of Sindh and Balochistan. There will be direct benefits and new opportunities for socio-economic development.

On the occasion, Chairman NHA Agha called for quick recovery of the damages caused by the rains and floods. He also issued instructions to the staff deployed in the field of NHA to be alert in case of any emergency.

He said that restoration of traffic on the network of national highways and motorways during the rainy season is our first priority and all resources will be used to achieve this goal.

In another meeting, Federal Minister Mahmood said that all the measures should be taken on an emergency basis to ensure the restoration of traffic on national highways and motorways in the recent heavy rains and resulting floods. In this regard, a control room has been set up at NHA Headquarters, Islamabad so that the maintenance units and field formations of the authority across the country may remain in constant contact with it so that immediate action can be taken to restore the affected roads well in time.

He said this while presiding over a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Communications on Wednesday, in which Federal Secretary Communications/Chairman NHA Agha, along with senior officers of the Ministry of Communications and relevant officers of the NHA participated. A detailed briefing was given to Asad Mahmood regarding the situation of rain and flood water on motorways and national highways and the measures taken to restore traffic.

Mahmood was told in a briefing that at the places of km 771-773 and km 780-782 the Indus Highway was affected due to heavy rains. The NHA officials posted in Dera Ghazi Khan are endeavoring to restore traffic on the Indus Highway. Traffic will be restored at the affected parts of the Indus Highway. Likewise, necessary machinery has been made available at the affected parts of Khuzdar-Quba Saeed Khan Highway in Balochistan. Asad Mehmood was also informed in the meeting that maintenance units on GT Road N-5, (Wazirabad and Rawalpindi) are also fully operational. It was also told in the briefing that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khawaza Khela-Bisham Road, Chakdara-Kalam Road and Chitral-Shandur Road are open for traffic. While Nowshera-Dir-Chitral Road, Lowari Tunnel (North Bound) are also cleared for traffic. The affected parts of Chitral-Garam Chashma-Shah Sadim Border Road are also being cleared.

On special instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Asad Mahmood, Secretary of Communications and chairman NHA, in view of the recent heavy rains and flooding situation, has left for Balochistan, where he will review the issues related to the rehabilitation of the affected roads.

Inspector General National Highways and Motorways Police Khalid Mehmood, Additional Secretary Finance Division Muhammad Tanveer Butt, Member I&M Planning Division Major General Zahir Shah (retired), Joint Secretary Ministry of Communications Usman Yaqub, Chief NTRC Hameed Akhtar, Vice President NESPAK Muhammad Daud Rana, Member Finance NHA AllahDad Khan, Member Planning NHA Asim Amin, Member Engineering-Coordination Arbab Ali, and Member Administration NHA Zahir Shah also participated.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022