ISLAMABAD - The National Highway Authority has mobilized the required resources to clear at least 7 points on its network, where road portions were damaged due to the heavy monsoon rains.
When contacted, the Member Engineering Coordination Naseem Khattak informed that we were prepared for immediate response to avoid longer closure of road but with the blessing of almighty Allah most of the network remained protected.
He said where the road was damaged; we promptly responded and tried to make it functional in the shortest possible time.
As per the reports, unlike the previous years, the national road network remained protected this year but there are certain highways where portions of roads are damaged but most of them have been cleared.
The Jahlkhand Skardu Road (S-1) is blocked due to mudflow at Bagarado. The NHA field staff and the machinery of FWO are mobilized at site for clearance of road and restoration of traffic at the earliest.
The N-140 road was blocked due to flash flood in the project area however due to a prompt response; the same portion has been opened for light traffic and now with the help of the machinery of a private contractor, efforts are being made to make the road functional for heavy traffic as well. A portion of N-95 road was washed away between Chakdara and Kalam but the said portion was restored for traffic within 24 hours.
On the other side, a compact 200 bridge (30m length) has been washed away due to flash flood on N-15 at Mohandry Bazar. As per the concerned officers of NHA, machinery from both sides Naran and Balakot is mobilized at site for the provision of diversion and efforts are also being made to install a new compact 200 bridge at earliest. The NHA as a precautionary measure has stopped traffic to cross on Hub Bridge Diversion, however, traffic is playing smoothly on provincial Hub Bypass while machinery is mobilized at site for the repair of temporary diversion.
Meanwhile, the NHA’s efforts are underway to clear a portion of Kohala-Muzaffarabad road (S-2), which is blocked due to a heavy landslide and mudflow.
It was informed that NHA field staff is working day and night for the opening of said road, a D85, 4 excavator, 2 wheel loaders, and a dumper are mobilized at site for the clearance of slide/ debris material. As it is an active slide, therefore, progress of work for opening the road to traffic is affected.