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Iraq has approved 16 projects at a total cost of nearly 25 trillion Iraqi dinars ($17 billion) involving expansion of roads and construction of new roads and bridges in the capital Baghdad, newspapers in the OPEC producer reported on Friday.
The projects are the first stage of a master plan intended to expand the city and tackle persistent road congestions due to population growth, they said.
The projects include new roads, bridges and causeways in various areas of the capital, improvement and expansion of existing roads, and the construction of ring roads around the city, they said, citing a government report.
In statements carried by the official news agency, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani said such projects would cost nearly IQD 25 trillion.
“These are the first batch of projects aimed at easing traffic congestion in the capital…there will be no political pressure in the process of awarding contracts in this batch to any company,” Sudani said.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
