KARACHI, July 30: The traffic police on Monday night opened the Tin Hatti bridge for heavy traffic despite opposition by the concerned department of the city government.

The bridge was closed to heavy traffic when it was damaged by fire on June 25.

The works and services department (WSD) of the city government had said that it might take about one-and-a-half month to repair the bridge.

Though the bridge was opened at about 11pm on Monday by the traffic police, neither SSP Tajamal Hussain nor DSP Riaz Haider was available to comment whether the competent authority had approved the decision.

However, DIG traffic Saud Mirza on Tuesday evening said the bridge was temporarily opened due to some problems at the Lasbella bridge.

The project consultant briefed the EDO (W&S) Brig Zaheer Qadri (retired) about the lab test report of the bridge on Tuesday evening and informed him about the damage caused by the fire.

Consultant and the W&S department had recommended to close the flow of heavy traffic on the bridge for about one-and-a-half month and the same was officially conveyed by the EDO to all concerned departments, including the Nazim Secretariat, DCO Secretariat, EDO (transport and communication) and the traffic police, on June 26.

According to the report, girders and columns of the bridge had been damaged and its concrete was falling effecting its thickness, while the concrete strength around single pier had also been damaged.—PPI