Official: New bridge construction to boost freight traffic

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

The construction of a new bridge between Iran and Azerbaijan over the Astarachay River will contribute to the freight traffic growth, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev has said.

He made the remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony of the new road bridge.

"The absence of a bridge between Astara (Iran) and Astara (Azerbaijan) leads to large queues. The new bridge construction will help solve queue problems at the site. Furthermore, this will promote the growth of cargo transportation," he said.

Mustafayev added that it is scheduled to put both the border terminal and the road bridge into operation during this year.

Moreover, Iranian Roads and Urban Development Minister Rostam Ghasemi stated that Iran and Azerbaijan will fund the construction of the bridge.

He added that the construction of the bridge will lead to an increase in transit between the two countries and to Russia.

"The construction of the bridge and roads around are expected to be completed within a year," he said.

Azerbaijan and Iran signed a protocol on the construction of a new bridge across the Astarachay River on the two countries' border on January 25. Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Hummatov and Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Kheirollah Khademi signed the document.

Mustafayev and Ghasemi laid the foundation of the bridge across the Astarachay River on the same day. Representatives of the Azerbaijani and Iranian delegations attended the ceremony.

The bridge will be put into operation till late 2022.

After liberating its lands from Armenian occupation in the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan regained control over a 132-km section of the Azerbaijan-Iran border. The re-establishment of control over the state border opened up new prospects for deeper cooperation between the two countries.

It should be noted that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iran in 2020 was $339.1 million. This figure was $390.4 million in the first 11 months of 2021