Some 90 percent of rural roads in Iran have been paved since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the rest are to be paved in the near future, Hossein Mirshafi, the deputy minister of roads and urban development said on Saturday. “Some 1.5 million people in rural areas do not have access to paved roads,” IRNA quoted the official as saying. “To meet their needs, 50 trillion rials ($1.5 billion based on market exchange rate) in investment is required.” Mirshafi said 17 thousand kilometers of roads will be paved within the next three years.
