Landslide hits under-construction projects

NHA had raised concerns regarding construction work near Soan Bridge

RAWALPINDI:

Heavy downpours in the garrison city Sunday inflicted substantial damages to an under-construction highway and the embankment along Soan and Leh nullahs’ banks.

The rain-triggered landslides caused construction materials and vehicles at the site to overturn and fall into a deep pit.

Concerns had previously been raised by the National Highway Authority (NHA) regarding construction work in the vicinity of the bridge.

The ongoing project involves widening Soan Bridge on National Highway N5 and associated roads and bridges. During the monsoon season, a section of the bridge leading from Rawat to Rawalpindi suffered serious damage and collapsed. Consequently, the bridge remained closed for one and a half months, leading to the diversion of heavy traffic to alternate routes and the implementation of a one-way traffic flow for light vehicles on the opposite side of the affected area, resulting in traffic congestion.

The damaged section was finally reconstructed and reopened for traffic on August 14, bringing relief to commuters.

However, accidents continued to occur during this period, with vehicles occasionally falling into the deep pit. Just one month after the bridge's reopening, two days of heavy rain caused the highway from Rawalpindi to Rawat to face fresh challenges.

Construction work, including highway widening and embankment construction by a contractor in collaboration with a private housing society, had been underway.

The rains triggered landslides, impacting the embankments and burying vehicles and construction equipment on the canal banks.

Following the landslides, cracks formed on the old highway, prompting the city traffic police to temporarily close the highway. Traffic was redirected onto the road from Rawat for several hours. The Rawalpindi City Traffic Police spokesperson stated that traffic was reopened after machinery removal, allowing two lanes to pass through the affected area.

Additional traffic police personnel were deployed to manage traffic flow.

It's worth noting that the National Highway Authority had previously expressed concerns about construction activities in the same location.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2023.