BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. A total of 293 km of freeway roads are expected to become operational in Iran by the end of the current Iranian year (March 19, 2024), Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, and CEO of Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company (CDTIC) Kheirollah Khademi said, Trend reports.
The mentioned freeways are Tehran-Shomal, Shiraz-Isfahan, Manjil-Rudbar, Tabriz-Marand and Maragheh-Hashtrud freeways.A certain part of the freeways mentioned by Khademi is already in use. The country is currently busy building the remaining parts of each of the mentioned freeways.
Khademi added that on average, an 86-km long freeway is laid in the country per year. With the added 293 km of roads from the mentioned freeways, the annual construction of freeways will triple in Iran this year.
The Tehran-Shomal Freeway connects Tehran Province to the Chalus city in the Mazandaran Province (northern Iran). This freeway consists of 4 parts. The 4th part was opened in 2015. One lane of the 2nd part of this freeway was opened in July 2023. Iran plans to finish the return lane of the 2nd part by the end of the year.
The construction of the Shiraz-Isfahan freeway, a north-south corridor in Fars province, began in 2008 with the aim of building a 225-kilometer route. Once fully completed, it will significantly reduce travel time between Shiraz and Isfahan to just two hours, effectively shortening the distance by 140 kilometers between these two strategic metropolises. Additionally, it is estimated that the completed freeway will save over 135 million liters of gasoline and contribute to a reduction in the severity and frequency of road accidents.
The Manjil-Rudbar freeway, which is a part of Qazvin-Rasht freeway, is 8 kilometers long.
The 64-km Tabriz-Marand freeway is part of the 253-km Tabriz-Marand-Bazergan freeway. Some 13 kilometers of this freeway have been put into use, and 51 kilometers are planned to be put into use by the end of this year.
The length of the Maragheh-Hashtrud freeway is 92 kilometers. It is planned to commission 35 kilometers of this freeway this year.
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