ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has invited bids from contractors for emergency protection work to be carried out on the Hub River bridge that was apparently damaged due to recent floods triggered by massive rains.

Following media reports about the dilapidated condition of the Hub River bridge, Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed and NHA Chairman Sikander Qayyum visited the bridge.

They were accompanied by Member NHA West Zone Shahid Ihsanullah, General Manager of Balochistan-South Sham Sunder and Director of Maintenance of Balochistan-South Kashif Ali Shaikh.

Bridge appears to have been damaged by flooding

During the site visit, Member NHA Shahid Ihsanullah informed the minister that a tender notice for execution of emergency protection work on the bridge had been published in leading national newspapers and uploaded on the websites of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and NHA on Sept 10.

He informed the minister that the Hub River bridge structure was stable and it could bear the existing traffic load, but protection walls of its three piers (7, 8 & 9) were damaged due to current floods in Hub River.

Mr Ihsanullah assured the minister that protection work on the three piers would be started by Sept 26 and it would be completed within one month.

The NHA chairman directed that execution of protection work be done immediately in accordance with the authority’s specifications and standards.

He said that timely completion of repair work must be ensured and any laxity in this regard would not be tolerated.

Mr Ihsanullah assured the NHA chairman that work would be executed strictly as per the NHA specifications and standards.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2020