ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Practical work commenced for Erbil’s largest ring road, “150 Meter Road,” on Tuesday seven months after its cornerstone was laid.
The total project is a 70 kilometer-long ring-road highway that will encircle the Kurdistan Region’s capital city of Erbil.
"Today, work on the first phase of the 150 Meter Road started which is 14 kilometers long," Kirmanj Dashtaki, the head of the Erbil Municipality Media Office told Rudaw, adding the first section starts from Baharka Road to Koya Road.
The first section alone will have three interchanges and underpasses with $131 million being allocated for it.
Erbil Governor Nawzad Hadi had earlier described the ring road as "the most strategic of projects” and per the city’s master plan the ringed system will connect outlying towns and areas to the capital.
They include: Bnaslawa, Daratu, Kasnazan, Shawes, Mala Umer, Baharka, Kani Qirzhala, Qatawi, Mamzawa, Sarkarez, Gird Mohammed and Murtka.
The 150 Meter Road project begins just as the city’s current outermost ring road, the 120 meter road, nears completion.
The project will be undertaken on a long-term loan by the Hemn Group that also built the 120 meter road, revealed KRG Minister of Municipalities and Tourism Newroz Mawlood Amin.
Erbil is already looped by five ring roads: the 30m, 40m, 60m, 100m, and 120m. It is hoped that the project will to alleviate help the sprawling city’s congestion.
The entire ring project is expected to take three-and-a-half years to complete.
