14 new bridges built, 16 repaired in Sindh’s flood hit areas

ISLAMABAD, Sep 12 (APP):Fourteen of 17 new bridges and 16 of 24 damaged bridges have been completed in flood hit areas of Sindh, as rehabilitation of the province’s road infrastructure progresses under the Sindh component of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-financed Emergency Flood Assistance Project (EFAP), according to documents available with Wealth Pakistan.

The project has also made substantial progress on road rehabilitation, with 732 kilometres out of 829 kilometres of roads completed with asphalt wearing.

The 829km network comprises 41 roads divided into 17 packages, of which nine packages have been substantially completed.

Significant progress has also been made in the rehabilitation and construction of culverts.

According to the project brief, 920 out of 996 new culverts have been completed, while 461 out of 505 repair culverts have also been completed.

Of the 17 new bridges planned under the project, 14 have now been completed, including the Tangwani Bridge in Kashmore district. Meanwhile, repair work on 16 of the 24 bridges identified for rehabilitation has been completed.

The EFAP was originally approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on December 6, 2022, at a total cost of Rs48.4 billion ($220 million).

The original financing arrangement included an ADB share of Rs43.974 billion ($199.9 million) and a Government of Sindh share of Rs4.425 billion ($20.1 million).

However, the project scope and cost were subsequently revised. The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) recommended the revised PC-I to ECNEC on February 6, 2026, with the total project cost increased to Rs60.053 billion ($212.20 million).

Under the revised financing plan, the ADB share stands at Rs52.067 billion ($183.98 million), while the Government of Sindh is contributing Rs7.986 billion ($28.21 million).

The project’s road rehabilitation target has also undergone several changes. Under the original project framework, 400km of roads were to be rehabilitated in accordance with the ADB’s Project Administration Manual issued in November 2022.

Subsequently, 849km of roads were finalized for rehabilitation following an ADB field mission. Under the revised PC-I, however, 829km of roads are being rehabilitated.

The infrastructure rehabilitation is aimed at restoring vital road connectivity in areas affected by devastating floods, while improving access and transport links through the reconstruction and repair of roads, bridges and culverts.