Mehran Highway

Mehran Highway (Sindhi: مِهِراڻ ُ هاءِوي‎, Urdu: مهران شاہراہ‎, also known locally as Nawabshah–Kot Lalu–Kumb Road and officially as Highway 31) is a provincially maintained highway in Sindh that extends from Khairpur to Nawabshah. The route is generally rural, passing near several communities including Daur and Bandhi in Shaheed Benazir Abad District and Faiz Ganj (Pacca Chang), Kot Lalu, Thari Mirwah and Ranipur in Khairpur District. The route is 131 kilometres (81 mi) long with a speed limit of 60 km/h (37 mph), except within towns, where the speed limit is reduced to 40 km/h (25 mph). Total travel time is approximately 1 hour 58 minutes. The northern terminus merges with the N-5 National Highway while the southern terminus merges with N-305 National Highway.

Highway S–31
Mehran Highway
مهران شاہراہ
مِهِراڻ ُ هاءِوي
Route information
Maintained by Sindh Highways Department
Length163 km[1] (101 mi)
Major junctions
North end at Khairpur(near Therhi)
South end at Nawabshah
Location
Major citiesDaur
Bandhi
Kot Lalu
Thari Mirwah
Ranipur
Highway system
Roads in Pakistan

History

Prior to reconstruction of the Mehran Highway, the route was known as Kumb–Nawabshah Road. Reconstruction of the road had been pending for several years due to red tape and incomplete construction sections, leading to heavy environmental pollution.[2] The Sindh Highways Department completed reconstruction in June 2015 and was funded by the Asian Development Bank.[3][4]

Accidents
View of Mehran Highway, also known as the Nawabshah–Kot Lalu–Kumb Road, prior to reconstruction.

The Mehran Highway is a high volume traffic road, as it connects Nawabshah and Khairpur districts and offers a shortcut to and from Sukkur. Many heavy transport vehicles which are traveling to and from Karachi to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir with Karachi often use this 2 lane highway to avoid the N-5 National Highway and tool tax. Due to those heavy vehicles and commuter buses and coaches passing through Mehran highway many deadly accidents have taken place on several occasions in the past years.[5][6][7][8] On 20 August 2013, a passenger bus from Uch Sharif (Bahawalpur) overturned in Thari Mirwah, killing 6 passengers.[9] On 24 August 2014 a passenger bus traveling southbound from Punjab to Karachi collided at with a van traveling northbound to Thari Mirwah at Kot Lalu killing 10 passengers and injuring 11 others. All deceased were residents of Thari Mirwah.[10]

See also

References
  1. http://www.sindh.gov.pk/SINDH%20ROAD%20MAP.gif
  2. "Mehran Highway pending for 7 years". The Express Tribune News Network. Express Tribune. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  3. AMIN AHMED (16 November 2014). "Asian Bank to help build road network in Sindh". Dawn. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  4. "PPP’s four years of government in Sindh – by Raja Asad". lubpak.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  5. PPI (21 July 2015). "Reckless driving: 8 killed, 178 injured in road accidents". The Express Tribune News Network. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  6. "Tragedy in Khairpur: Reckless driving claims 14 lives - The Express Tribune". tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  7. "With two more deaths, Khairpur bus accident toll rises to 16 - The Express Tribune". tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  8. "Sindh's deadly highway: Fatal bus on the wrong highway without a permit - The Express Tribune". Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  9. "Six killed in Khairpur road mishap - Pakistan - DAWN.COM". dawn.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  10. "Speed kills: Road accident claims 10 lives - The Express Tribune". tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
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