175 DEATHS IN TWO YEARS: IT’S HIGHWAY TO HELL
RISKY RIDE
Dec 13, 2016: Three Tamil Nadu youth die as their car collides with a bus coming from Rupnagar on the Jalandhar-Chandigarh highway (NH-344A) at Bharthala village in SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr).
November 20, 2016: A collision between Innova car and private bus kills three persons, including two women, near Khatkar Kalan village of Nawanshahr.
The 73-km killer stretch
According to traffic cops, the 73-km killer stretch in Nawanshahr district starts from Mehli village (near Phagwara) to Asron village (near Rupnagar). The stretch, on the Jalandhar-Chandigarh highway, is part of the four-lane project, initiated by National Highways Authority of India.
WHY ACCIDENTS ARE FREQUENT HERE
High volume of vehicles: Currently, more than 3 lakh vehicles ply every day on an average on this two-lane road.
Overspeeding: Most vehicles move at high speed on the stretch, as a result many head-on collisions are witnessed here.
No checks: In absence of proper traffic management, violations go unnoticed.
OTHER BLACK SPOTS
In Nawanshahr, traffic police have identified some black spots. These include Behram, Jadla village, Garhi Kanugo Chowk, also called ‘Khooni Morh’, Kathgarh, Old Military Canteen and Ambedkar Chowk.