International bids for the Development Road project
The Ministry of Transport is preparing to open international tenders for the Development Road project at the end of this December, in a move that is considered the most prominent since its launch, signaling its official transition to the field implementation phase after the completion of most of the engineering and detailed designs.
The ministry’s media office director, Maitham Al-Safi, told Al-Sabah: “The ministry has made remarkable progress in completing the designs, which paves the way for contracting with specialized international companies that will undertake the implementation of the work packages, which include the highway, railways, industrial and logistics zones.”
He added that the Development Road project is one of the most important strategic projects that the government is relying on to transform Iraq into a logistical and commercial hub linking the Gulf to Turkey and then Europe, indicating that the length of the project extends for approximately 1,200 kilometers from the Grand Faw Port in Basra to the Iraqi-Turkish border.
He noted that a large proportion of the detailed designs for the highway and railway network were completed in cooperation with international consulting firms, and include bridges, stations, logistics corridors and supporting infrastructure, in addition to the continued completion of soil studies in a number of sections along the route.
Al-Safi noted that the project will enter its large-scale implementation phase at the beginning of next year, following the tendering process for international companies in separate packages covering road works, railways, and industrial zones. He explained that the completion of the first 62-kilometer section linking the ports of Faw and Umm Qasr represents the first concrete step in the comprehensive project.
Al-Safi explained that the development route is expected to contribute to providing thousands of job opportunities and revitalizing the transport, construction and logistics sectors, as well as attracting international investments to the industrial zones planned to be established along the route.
He added that the project is managed by an independent company to ensure its continuity and protect it from administrative changes, as it is a pivotal economic project that restores Iraq’s geographical role as a vital transit hub between Asia and Europe, and redraws trade routes in the region.
Alsabaah.iq