Islamabad: The National Highway Authority has opened southbound carriageway for light traffic on the damaged part of the Sukkur-Multan Motorway—making motorway operational for commuters.
Meanwhile, NHA has also initiated permanent repair works on the Sukkur–Multan Motorway (M-5) after severe flooding caused extensive structural damage to several sections in September.
The floods, triggered by a major overflow in the Sutlej River, affected nearly 20 kilometers of the motorway and washed away multiple cross-drainage structures.
Following an inspection by Chairman NHA Shyerar Sultan at the site on October 6, the authority approved a phased plan for permanent restoration of the damaged infrastructure.
The restoration involves dismantling and reconstruction of affected culverts and subways, compaction of embankments, and construction of new apron and wing walls to meet enhanced hydraulic and structural standards.
However, in was decided to prepare a temporary embankment on southbound carriageway and make the motorway operational by putting traffic of both sides over this side.
It was decided once traffic is diverted on temporary embankment of southbound carriageway, the northbound carriageway will be properly fixed as per the original strandeds of this motorway and used to cater traffic of both sides after completion and then southbound carriageway would be taken up for proper construction.
According to officials, the situation worsened after a breach occurred in the Jalalpur Pirwala–Uch Sharif corridor (N-115), which increased hydraulic pressure on the motorway’s drainage system.
As a result, four single-cell cattle creep structures and one six-cell culvert sustained heavy damage, leading to the washout of an embankment and disruption of connectivity.
The NHA’s plan includes the replacement of a six-cell box culvert and four single-cell subways on both northbound and southbound carriageways.
Engineers have been directed to use gabion blocks, lean concrete, and reinforced cement concrete (RCC) collars to strengthen the structures and improve resilience against future floods
