Soan Bridge remains closed to traffic

The under-construction section of the Soan Bridge, which collapsed due to land sliding on the N-5 highway on Monday, was yet to be restored for traffic with the track going from Rawat to Rawalpindi still closed.

This has resulted in long queues and traffic jams on the other track of the bridge as well as alternate routes due to the traffic spillover. It is also causing headaches for commuters as the bridge serves as the entry point to the garrison city.

Currently, light vehicles going to and from Rawalpindi are using the functional track of the Soan Bridge.

The Rawalpindi traffic police have devised a separate route for heavy and freight vehicles. It is being diverted into Rawalpindi via T-Chowk, Karaal, Ammar Chowk and Kutchery Chowk.

Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chattha said that restoration work was ongoing and would be completed soon. A day earlier, a spokesperson of the National Highway Authority (NHA) had said that repair would be completed within a day.

A part of the bridge, which is currently undergoing an extension, collapsed with its pillars and girders. The bridge is being extended 20 feet on both sides to ease the traffic flow. It is part of an Rs8 billion road improvement project from Kutchery Chowk to T-Chowk, Rawat.

The city’s traffic chief, Taimur Khan, said that extra policemen would be deployed at alternate routes to manage traffic flow till the restoration of the bridge.

A primary reason for the collapse was erosion at the base of the bridge due to flooding. This resulted in a part of the bridge collapsing, creating a massive crater. The loosening took place during the night with the collapse taking place on Monday.

At that time, traffic was kept off from the bridge to inspect the situation during which the collapse took place and a major accident was averted as no vehicles were on the bridge.

According to the commissioner, initial reports suggested a ‘fault in the design’ was the cause of the collapse. A senior official had earlier told The Express Tribune that the work on the bridge was taking place despite a ban on construction on the N-5 highway.

According to reports, a high-level meeting of officials of NHA and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), the project contractors, was held. Officials of the city administration and traffic police officials were also part of the meeting to review repair work and reopening of the bridge for traffic.

When the Rawalpindi commissioner inquired about the continuation of work on the Link Road near Nullah Leh and Soan Bridge for the housing society, he said that the bridge falls within the limits and jurisdiction of NHA.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2023.