The progress of Persian Gulf Bridge construction which will connect Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf with the mainland has been accelerated and is expected to be completed within the next three years, announced the head of Qeshm Free Trade-Industrial Zone Organization, Ali-Akbar Shabnifard, as ILNA reported.
The Persian Gulf Bridge is a 2.2 kilometer long road-rail bridge stretching from Laft port in Qeshm Island to Pehel port on the suburbs of the city of Khamir in Hormozgan Province. Up to 1,800 meter stretch of the bridge is located above the sea level, giving 16 meter clearance during the high tide to allow the free passage of ships. The bridge accommodates a two-way road, a railway and a 22 meter wide footpath.
The bridge is expected to improve tourism in Qeshm Island, which has a multitude of tourist attractions such as wild dolphins, mangrove forests and favorable weather conditions, said the official.
Announcing that the bridge’s concreting is currently progressing at the rate of 6,000 cubic meters per month, Shabanifard called on domestic and foreign investors to invest in various projects in Qeshm.
“The construction of a power plant and a 100,000 cubic meter water reservoir in collaboration with MAPNA group, building an oil terminal for storage of oil with private sector investment and fish farming projects” were mentioned by the official as some other attractive projects for investment.
The idea of constructing the Persian Gulf Bridge dates back to the 1970s, concurrent with the establishment of Qeshm Free Trade Zone. The implementation of the project, which was delayed for various reasons, finally began under the former administration in 2011 with an estimated price tag of 650 million euros.
Suitable Investment Platform
Separately, deputy secretary of National Security Supreme Council, Reza Saifollahi visited different projects in Qeshm last week and declared that Hormozgan province territories including Qeshm Island “enjoy a high level of security and provide suitable ground for investment.”
Accompanied by the head of Qeshm Free Trade Zone Organization and a group of officials, Saifollahi visited Qeshm to conduct feasibility studies and assess the region’s security. He also visited a number of oil, gas and fish farming projects as well as the Persian Gulf Bridge project site. The official mentioned the huge tourism potential in Qeshm and noted that implementing the development plans for the island in the field of steel production, energy, water and electricity could play a significant role in the region’s economic prosperity.
