The King's Highway between Tafila and Karak has been reopened and rehabilitated after being cut off due to flash floods.

The Public Works Directorate of Tafila Governorate reopened the King’s Highway in the Al-La’ban area, north of the governorate, on Saturday, after it was completely cut off by torrential floods and the overflow of the Shidham Dam, which caused parts of the road to collapse and disrupted traffic between the governorates of Tafila and Karak.

The Director of Public Works in Tafila, Ammar Al-Hajjaj, said that the directorate’s staff began their field work immediately after the damage occurred, working continuously around the clock to rehabilitate the damaged section and open the road to vehicles in less than 24 hours, despite the difficult field conditions, with the support and efforts of private sector companies.

He added that the works teams, supported by heavy machinery, carried out urgent emergency maintenance work, which included removing dirt and debris, and addressing collapses, in addition to creating a temporary traffic diversion to ensure the continuity of movement between the two governorates, until the permanent rehabilitation work is completed.

He explained that the violent floods resulting from the overflow of the Shidham Dam, located east of the city of Tafila, led to the erosion of the sides of the road and the collapse of parts of it, in addition to the drift of large quantities of soil towards its path, which posed a direct danger to the safety of its users.

He stressed that the ministry is closely monitoring the repercussions of the weather situation, in coordination with various concerned parties, to ensure the continued smooth flow of traffic on vital roads, reduce the effects of floods and landslides, and protect infrastructure from future risks.

Engineer Al-Hajjaj pointed out that the Ministry of Public Works and Housing has harnessed the available capabilities to accelerate the pace of road rehabilitation, while the Minister of Works has instructed that the Directorate of Works in Tafila be provided with a modern heavy machine of the “backhoe loader” type, in support of the necessary maintenance and rehabilitation work.

Last Thursday, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing announced the precautionary closure of the road in the Al-Laban area, in coordination with the Governor of Tafila and the relevant authorities, following the flow of large quantities of water from the Shidham Dam, which caused erosion in the road, in order to preserve the safety of citizens.

In this context, Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Abu Al-Saman inspected on Friday a number of damaged sites in the governorates of Tafila and Karak and reviewed the extent of the damage to the King’s Highway, praising the rapid response of the technical staff and their ability to reopen the road in record time.

During the tour, the minister listened to a detailed explanation from the technical teams about the nature of the damage and its causes, stressing the need to implement radical solutions that would prevent the recurrence of such damage in the future.

He pointed out that the ministry has begun, within the available capabilities, to implement a package of technical measures, including addressing the damaged sections, strengthening side protections, expanding valley channels in critical locations, in addition to developing the rainwater drainage system in coordination with the relevant authorities.

Abu Al-Saman stressed the importance of maintaining the highest levels of readiness, especially in light of expectations of renewed rainy weather conditions in the coming days, directing that all logistical and technical capabilities be provided to support the field teams, in order to ensure a rapid response, protect the road network and serve the citizens.

Kingdom