A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the presence of Roads and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami last week to launch the construction of the first phase of Kermanshah-Bisotun-Homeyl Highway.
“Today, the construction of 105 kilometers of this project has started, in which 6 trillion rials ($50 million) worth of investments will be made. The highway will stretch over 141 kilometers upon completion and cost a total of 15 trillion rials ($127 million),” the official was quoted as saying by the ministry's news portal.
Eslami said the private sector will be funding most of the expenses for the construction of this highway, which is an important transit route for completing the east-west transport corridor, adding that the government is determined to grant its full support to private sector investors.
“Kermanshah-Bisotun-Homeyl will be a modern highway with high levels of safety and speed. The project will reduce the current distance between Kermanshah and Homeyl by 30 kilometers, saving travel time and fuel consumption,” he said.
As Newsweek reported, the project is slated to eventually connect Iran to Syria through neighboring Iraq.
Eslami noted that the project is a key step toward linking Iran with its Arab allies Iraq and Syria and would contribute to the country's economy.
Recalling his recent trip to the Syrian capital, Damascus, Eslami said the issue of facilitating transit among Iran, Iraq and Syria was raised and that Kermanshah-Bisotun-Homeyl Road is considered a key part of this corridor.
Eslami, who was appointed to his post by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in October, traveled to Syria recently as part of a high-level delegation to attend the 14th session of Iran-Syria High Joint Committee.
When the meeting concluded, officials from Damascus and Tehran had signed up to 11 agreements, memorandums of understanding and projects designed to boost bilateral economic ties, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency.
