ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The government is repairing the Erbil-Sulaimani road after villagers blocked the route protesting poor infrastructure, a ministry spokesperson told Rudaw on Saturday.
The Smaquli road is one of the roads linking Kurdistan Region’s largest two cities, Sulaimani and Erbil. In late April, residents of 20 villages in the area set up roadblocks to prevent trucks from passing. The protesters blamed the trucks for dangerous potholes.
On Monday, the minister of construction and finance visited Smaquli and met with the protesters.
“Two days after the visit of the minister of construction to the protesters, the works to repair the Smaquli road have started,” said Mariwan Mala Hasan, spokesperson for the ministry of construction and housing.
Mala Hasan also revealed that a decision was made to prohibit trucks from using the road once it is repaired. This was one of the demands of the protestors.
Traffic has increased on smaller roads between Erbil and Sulaimani after Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk in October 2017. Though the roads through Kirkuk are better quality, many Kurdish drivers choose not to pass through areas of Iraqi control.
Construction on a planned two-way road between Erbil and Koya has been halted since a financial crisis struck the region in 2014 and forced the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to take austerity measures to reduce spending.
The Smaquli reservoir was created seven years ago, but the road frequently flooded. In 2019, the government fixed it after the leader of the New Generation said he would personally go with a team to do the job.
The Smaquli road is one of the roads linking Kurdistan Region’s largest two cities, Sulaimani and Erbil. In late April, residents of 20 villages in the area set up roadblocks to prevent trucks from passing. The protesters blamed the trucks for dangerous potholes.
On Monday, the minister of construction and finance visited Smaquli and met with the protesters.
“Two days after the visit of the minister of construction to the protesters, the works to repair the Smaquli road have started,” said Mariwan Mala Hasan, spokesperson for the ministry of construction and housing.
Mala Hasan also revealed that a decision was made to prohibit trucks from using the road once it is repaired. This was one of the demands of the protestors.
Traffic has increased on smaller roads between Erbil and Sulaimani after Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk in October 2017. Though the roads through Kirkuk are better quality, many Kurdish drivers choose not to pass through areas of Iraqi control.
Construction on a planned two-way road between Erbil and Koya has been halted since a financial crisis struck the region in 2014 and forced the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to take austerity measures to reduce spending.
The Smaquli reservoir was created seven years ago, but the road frequently flooded. In 2019, the government fixed it after the leader of the New Generation said he would personally go with a team to do the job.
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