Khaberni - Omar Al-Muharameh, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, stated that Petra Street is a shared jurisdiction road between the municipalities of Irbid and Bani Obaid and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.
Al-Muharameh clarified to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), this Tuesday, that the site which saw a rise in water levels was due to the actions of a citizen about two years ago, where a project led to the blocking of a water drainage culvert at the location.
He added that the previous Irbid Municipality Council later paved the road without attending to the stream’s course, disregarding the Bani Obaid Public Works Office's request to the municipal council to reconstruct the culvert; however, this was not taken into consideration.
Regarding the closure of Al-Qastal Tunnel, Al-Muharameh indicated that the closure was a precautionary measure due to the rise in water levels inside, explaining that the tunnel is only used for turning on the service road, and that its closure did not ultimately affect traffic flow.
He added that the Minister of Public Works, Engineer Maher Abu Al-Samn, directed the Director of Roads in the department to expand the drainage manholes and culverts inside the tunnel to ensure it can accommodate larger quantities of rainwater.
He affirmed that the ministry's field teams continue to work as part of the emergency plan since last night, and until the end of the influence of the weather condition caused by the atmospheric depression affecting the kingdom, noting that all the observations reported to the emergency rooms were minor, and no road closures were recorded.
In this context, he emphasized that the ministry's teams are working in all sites present, whether within the jurisdiction of the ministry or outside, aiming to ensure public safety and address any observations promptly.
