National Highway Authority has given an estimate to Ministry of Communication that recent monsoon flood washed away 700km road network worth of Rs 5 billion in various parts of the country. Chairman NHA, Altaf Ahmed Chaudhary confirmed the Business Recorder that initial damage assessment reveals that government needed Rs 6 billion to restore road infrastructure.
Technical staff of NHA with reconstruction and road materials has been transported to those areas where bridges and highways completly washed away. Civil engineers have been deputed to monitor the other bridges and roads in the way of exceptional high flood.
According to Chairman NHA, Motorway (N-5) on Khyber Pakhtunkwa has opened for all kind of traffic. The Indus Highway from Ramak to Peshawar also opened after necessary repair. Zhob to Dera Ismail Khan main road closed due to damaged one km length. The Chukdara Bridge on Noshara-Chitral Motorway (N-55) was severally damaged and Frontier Works Organisation is busy in fixing the bridge.
Similarly, Hassan Abdal, Abbottabad, Manshera, Khunjrab (N-35) Motorway have been blocked on eight sites ahead of Shenkyaree, due to heavy landslides. The constructors are repairing the Ayub Bridge on Haripur-Abbattabad section. The NHA also gave a briefing to Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan on Thursday regarding damage to main highways and road infrastructure.