BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend
About 17 trillion rials (about $404 million) funds will be allocated for continue construction of Ardabil-Mianeh railway between Ardabil and East Azerbaijan provinces of northwestern Iran in the current Iranian year (began March 20, 2020), said Governor of Iran’s Ardabil province Akbar Behnamju, Trend reports citing IRNA.
According to Behnamju, the funds that are allocated for the construction of the Ardabil-Mianeh railway this year have increased by 300 percent compared to last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020).
Behnamju added that if additional funds are allocated in time, the construction of the railway will be completed soon.
The governor said that so far, 15 trillion rials (about $357 million) have been spent on the construction of this railway.
"This year, 700 billion rials [about $16.6 million] have been paid by the Bank Melli Iran for the construction of the railway; next week, 1 trillion rials [about $23.8 million] will be paid,” he said.
Behmanju said that currently, there is about 60-percent progress in the construction of the Ardabil-Mianeh railway and with timely payment of funds, this railway will be commissioned next year (starting from March 21, 2021).
According to the governor, the rails are ready to be laid on about 100 kilometers of the railway from Ardabil side, and the laying of rails will begin from Mianeh side during next four months.
The construction of the Ardabil-Mianeh railway with length of about 175 kilometers was launched in 2005. As reported, 62 tunnels with total length of 23.8 kilometers, a 4-kilometer bridge over a gorge and a 3-kilometer bridge over a water body will be constructed as part of the railway project. As of Feb. 3, 2020, 90 kilometers of the railroad have been laid. The Ardabil-Mianeh railway is expected to be commissioned by March 21, 2022.