Iran has signed off on the start of construction of a bridge over the Shatt Al-Arab waterway linking it with Iraq, Iraqi Newsreports, citing an Iranian Foreign Ministry statement. The statement indicates that work on the eagerly anticipated Shalamcheh-Basra railway and bridge connecting the two countries will begin soon.

More on the bridge: The 880m vertical-lift bridge is a key component of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway project and will be constructed by Iranian contractors, according to Iran’s state-run Mehr news agency. Vertical-lift bridges are movable bridges that employ counterweights to horizontally lift their span and allow access to marine traffic.

Construction of the bridge and the 32 km Shalamcheh-Basra Railway is set to begin afterRamadan, we reported earlier. The first phase of the project will involve a mine clearing operation, after which Iraq is said to begin development of the railway, and Iran will begin development of the bridge. The project is set to be completed within 18 months.

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