Baghdad - Al-Forat
The Baghdad Mayoralty has opened a new bridge over the Tigris linking the Karkh and Rusafa sides of the capital. At 420 metres long and wide enough for six lanes of traffic, the bridge is expected to reduce congestion on existing bridges by up to 30% at peak hours.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Mayor of Baghdad said the bridge had been built with Iraqi expertise over 26 months and has pedestrian walkways on both sides, a modern lighting system and approaches that connect to the main roads on both banks without traffic lights, as well as dedicated paths for people with disabilities.
The project cost about 98 billion dinars from the mayoralty’s budget and was carried out by an Iraqi company under the supervision of engineering staff from the projects department. Its design rests on deep concrete piers in the riverbed, built to bear heavy loads and changes in water levels.
Relief for traffic
The mayoralty’s project director said traffic studies showed that nearby bridges were carrying more than 8,000 vehicles an hour at peak times, and that the new bridge would take about a third of that number, cutting crossing times between the two sides by roughly half. A study on linking it to public transport routes will follow.
Drivers who spoke to Al-Forat at the bridge approaches welcomed its opening. Taxi driver Haider Abdul-Amir said his daily trip from Mansour to Karrada used to take more than an hour, “and today I did it in less than twenty minutes”.
Owners of shops near the approaches, however, called for action on standing water in side streets and for parking spaces, after neighbouring alleys became alternative routes for vehicles during construction.
Related projects
The mayoralty said it would begin planting trees along both riverbanks near the bridge next month and build a public square for pedestrians, while the traffic directorate will deploy patrols to manage traffic during the first weeks of operation until drivers get used to the new lanes. Surveillance cameras will also be installed along the bridge to detect violations.
