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Bitumen Production at 1.2m Tons

Currently, some 7,000 kilometers of highways are under construction across Iran.
Currently, some 7,000 kilometers of highways are under construction across Iran.

An estimated 1.2 million tons of bitumen is produced in Iran annually, according to deputy minister of roads and urban development, Kheirollah Khademi.

“Bitumen, as the main material used in asphalt-paved roadways, plays an important role in construction and development of roads in Iran,” he was quoted by IRNA as saying.

“Considering the high price of the product, we need advanced technology” to cut costs and add value, he added.

Close to 7,000 kilometers of highways are under construction across the country, according to the Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructure Company affiliated to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.

The Ministry of Roads says between 800-1,000 kilometers of highways have been built across the country every year since March 2013 when President Hassan Rouhani took office. This fiscal year that ends in March, the figure is expected to reach 1,200 kilometers.

The poor quality of the roadways has almost always drawn strong criticism from the people and economic experts.

“Lack of access to good quality asphalt concrete has always been a challenge for road construction in Iran,” said Khademi, who also is chief executive of CDTIC. 

Some 25 million tons of asphalt is used in Iran every year, according to the official.

The deputy minister was speaking on the sidelines of the 8th International Exhibition of Bitumen, Asphalt, Insulation and Related Machineries, otherwise known as BAIEX 2017, which opened in Tehran on Tuesday and will run through Friday.

Some 110 participants, including domestic and foreign companies, are present, indicating a 25% rise compared to last year, according to the exhibition organizer Asia Middle East Pasargad.

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