KARACHI, Sept 2: Following the collapse of a bridge forming part of the newly-constructed Northern Bypass, the city government on Sunday closed Drigh Road flyover to carry out necessary repairs.

According to CDGK officials, earlier it had been decided to close the single-track flyover, linking Sharea Faisal with Rashid Minhas Road, to all vehicular traffic for one day only.

Since the repair work was taking a long time it was expected that the flyover would now reopen for traffic by Monday evening, they said.

These repairs had been long overdue as the flyover had developed many potholes, they said, adding that the authorities concerned awakened from deep slumber only after the fateful incident — the collapse of the bridge on Saturday — that had claimed lives of innocent people.

EDO Works and Services Nisar Sario told Dawn that some damaged portions of Drigh Road flyover had been repaired.

He said that as the flyover had been constructed in the middle of the road, the city government had been planning to dismantle the bridge and reconstruct it by acquiring nearby land at Drigh Colony Railway Station.

“We have to maintain the flyover till a final decision is taken in this regard,” Mr Sario said.

He said that the repair work of Jam Sadiq flyover in the Korangi Industrial Area was already in progress.

“At present we are strengthening the columns and girders beneath the flyover and we will also repair tracks of the flyover for which the temporary closure of the flyover will be inevitable,” he added. The EDO hinted that the repair work on Sohrab Goth and Natha Khan bridges, which were in dilapidated conditions, would start soon.

He said that acting on the directives of City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, the works and services department would start a citywide survey from Monday to assess the strength of all the bridges and flyovers.