KOTRI Bridge which is located on River Indus was built by the British on May 25, 1900. It stretches over six spans and the total length is 1,948 feet. The depth of its foundations below water is about 49 to 60 feet. Thirty years later, they reconstructed most of the bridge to make transport and access to remote areas easier.

Also known as Mehran Railway Bridge, it is currently not in a good condition. Over the years, traffic has increased and no one is taking responsibility to maintain or upgrade the bridge. The heavy traffic load has made it a threat to the bridge.

Traffic jams can last up to two hours daily and this creates a real issue for people who have to reach work on time or deliver goods at a pre-decided time.

I wish someone would step up to fix this bridge and save its historical value.

Local authorities should make this their top priority, if they ignore it like everything else in the province, I am afraid we will lose too much.

Furqan Hyder Shaikh

Jamshoro

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019