Every day, commuters on both secondary and main roads endure the frustration of navigating through potholes and bumps that now dominate the majority of streets. They carry the weight of this burden, hoping that officials from the Ministry of Works and the Public Authority of Roads and Land Transport will swiftly find solutions to address the deteriorating condition of the roads.
This hope arises after the road maintenance project, handled by international companies, faced numerous challenges that ultimately led to its failure, reports Al-Rai daily.
The predicament extends beyond the issue of worn-out roads, persisting since 2018, and encompasses challenges with bridge dividers and supports on highways. This adds complexity to the responsibilities of those who oversee road infrastructure in the Ministry of Works and PART.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed to Al-Rai that “more than 70 percent of bridge dividers and supports require urgent maintenance due to the potential dangers posed to vehicle drivers while crossing these dividers, in addition to the harm they cause to tires and vehicle components.” It is anticipated that this problem will persist until new maintenance contracts are awarded.
The sources explained that clauses were included in recently offered highway maintenance contracts to address bridge dividers and supports, but these contracts are currently in default. There are no ongoing contracts with the Roads Authority to execute these necessary works, leaving road users to endure the same issues.
There is a warning about the peril of neglecting the maintenance of bridge joints, as it may lead to future problems affecting the safety of the bridges’ concrete structures. This neglect could escalate the cost of maintenance work to double the original estimates.
Adding to the concerns, the problem of bridges threatens the safety of vehicle drivers and this has reignited discussions about the safety of concrete walls.
Specialists at the Roads Authority emphasized that there have been no maintenance contracts for bridge walls since their construction. They stress the urgency of signing new contracts to ensure periodic maintenance, particularly for bridge walls concealed by adjacent trees.
Despite numerous appeals from vehicle drivers to the Ministry of Works and the PART to repair the dilapidated bridges, the response has been limited. The Authority’s weak capabilities, stemming from the absence of maintenance contracts for these crucial works, contribute to this disappointment.
Road users, once optimistic about the prospect of international companies maintaining the roads, are now disheartened as proposed tenders have faced setbacks. Informed sources at the Roads Authority reveal that after inspecting highway bridge joints, it was discovered that 40 percent of the joints of one bridge urgently require maintenance.