Construction work begins on Erbil’s 150 meter road

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Work has commenced on a new major ring road which will encircle the city of Erbil. As part of the KDP’s election campaign, the first foundation stone for the new 70 kilometer highway was laid by KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani in a ceremony on Wednesday. 


“As our main duty and long-term aim, we in the KRG will return to our real path of delivering services and construction projects to develop our country in every aspect,” Barzani told journalists.

The project's supervisor, Amir Abdulkhaliq, explained the highway will be 70 kilometers in circumference.

"The groundbreaking of the first section starts from the Baharka four-side road to Koya road numbering 14 kilometers with $131 million being allocated to it," he told reporters. "It will be finished within 1,250 days."

The first section alone will have three interchanges and underpasses.


Erbil Governor Nawzad Hadi 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: Binaslawa, Daratoo, 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 Hemin 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 the project will help alleviate congestion. 

The entire project is expected to take three-and-a-half years to complete.

Updated at 6:42 p.m.