LAHORE: The two-lane expanded portion of the Lahore bridge (Qainchi flyover) has been closed to traffic after a massive fire erupting under it caused considerable damage to some of its portions.

The fire erupted under the bridge after drug addicts burnt plastic material lying there, according to senior officers of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

“The bridge was operational, but a few days ago, a massive fire erupted suddenly that damaged its concrete structure,” LDA Director General Tahir Farooq told Dawn on Friday.

“This left us with no option but to close this expanded portion of the bridge to get the structure’s stability examined by experts to ensure the safety of the people,” the DG said, adding that reopening of the bridge for traffic may take some time.

According to LDA Director (engineering) Mobeen Ahmad, the fire badly damaged a pillar and a couple of girders of this two-lane flyover.

“The fire erupted after drug addicts burnt the pipes owned by the Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA). The flames weakened the pillar’s concrete. The fire also damaged some girders,” he explained.

According to him, a team of the National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) has started examining the damaged portions of the bridge. Besides, a team of the University of Engineering & Technology is also being approached for the bridge’s technical examination and submit a report in this regard.

To a question, the LDA director said if the reports from the experts recommended some repair work, it would take 15-20 days to reopen the bridge, but if it suggested reconstruction of the pillar, girders, etc, it may take nearly two months.

To another question, he said the fire was so massive that it not only eroded the concrete layers on the pillar and girders but also damaged the steel in the structure.

The flyover was a part of the Rs1.711 billion Gulab Devi underpass project, along with the underpass that was opened to traffic in June 2022. But, work on the Lahore bridge expansion could not gain momentum due to various issues, including non-issuance of a no-objection certificate by Pakistan Railways, non-compliance with the power shutdowns schedule by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) and other operational challenges. But later, the bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 2023.

The need for the Lahore bridge expansion was felt after the LDA conducted a survey prior to the project’s launch, which revealed that traffic heading towards Gajjumata and Kasur from Kalma Chowk caused congestion due to its narrow lanes. However, traffic proceeding towards Kalma Chowk from Gajjumata and Kasur did not face any issues as that side of the bridge has a three-lane road stretch.

Considering this, it was decided to expand the bridge (the two-lane side heading towards Gajjumata and Kasur) by constructing an additional two-lane flyover alongside the existing one, with a one-meter gap. The construction work on the bridge had been initiated alongside the Gulab Devi underpass project.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025