"دليل بلاد فارس. مجلد III. جزء I: من A إلى K" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (١٢٧٨/٢٤٨)

BAK—BAK
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beyond, as well as that directly northwards to Shushtar, Dizfiil, and Luristan,
passes, in the first instance, up this waterway. In this aspect it is, therefore,
intimately connected with the present and future prosperity of the
Bakhtiarl country.
Internal.'—The main routes leading through the Bakhtiari country from
the coast to the interior of Persia are :—
(a) the Lynch or Bakhtiari road (Ahwaz to Isfahan) ; and
(&) the Shushtar-Bazuft-Isfahan route.
Of these (a) is the main trade route from the sea-coast to the centre of
Persia, and is used by the nomads of the eastern portion of the Bakhtiari
country, while (fe) is the route followed by the nomads of the western portion
in their annual migrations.
The Lynch road starts from Nasiri, where Messrs. Lynch Bros, have
established themselves, and enters the south-west limits of the Bakhtiari
country 20 miles to the north of Nasiri.
It had long been apparent that this road to Isfahan and Tehran, linked
up by the Karun river with the head of the Persian Gulf, offered many
advantages over the far longer caravan route from Bushire through Shiraz.
This idea took definite shape in 1897, when the Persian Government granted
a concession to the Bakhtiari Khans for the improvement of the trade-
route from Ahwaz to Isfahan. Messrs. Lynch Bros., the Karun merchants,
financed the scheme and undertook the construction of the road, which
involved the improvement of the existing track, the building of various
caravanserais, and the construction of three bridges. Work on the road
was commenced soon after, the bridging material being sent out from
Europe. In the result, a fair mule track was constructed after immense
labour and energy on the part of Mr. Taylor of that firm ; and two bridges
out of three planned, and for which material was ready, were put up. The
specifications of these bridges are as follows :—
1 . Pul-i-Shalu, or Gudar-i-Balutak, over the Karun river. Wire-rope
suspension, with piers of solid masonry and a lattice girder.
Steel roadway and concrete flooring. Length 120 feet. Clear
width of roadway 10 feet. Adapted to bear an ordinary work
ing load of 2 | cwt. per square foot, or a live load, uniformly
distributed, of 80 tons.
2. Pul-i-’Amarat, over the Ab-i-Bazuft. A suspension bridge of the
same pattern as No. 1 . Length 70 feet. Clear width of road
way 10 feet. Bearing power the same as No. 1 .
3. To replace the old bridge at Du Pulan over the Karun river. A
steel girder bridge. Length 51 feet. Clear width of roadway
10 feet. Bearing power the same as No. 1 .
This bridge has not been laid, and the material is said to be lying in the
caravanserai at Du Pulan.
The total length of this route from Ahwaz to Isfahan is 281 miles, of
which only the first 42 miles are fit for wheeled traffic, an that only in dry
weather.
For a detailed description of this route see “ Routes in Persia, volume III
part 2, route No. 15”.