Since 2011, when the hydroelectric dam of Karun-4 was constructed, and waters of Karun river were stored behind it, many access roads submerged, including that of Ardal city which used to connect Sharekord, the capital of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari to Izeh city in the neighboring province Khuzestan.
Now after the construction of Karun-4 Bridge, the access road of Ardal city will open soon, linking the two provinces of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari and Khuzestan.
On October 16 Qasem Soleymani-Dashtaki, governor of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, inspected the construction operations of Ardal access road, and told IRNA that the bridge will soon be attracting many investors and tourists.
There are already many trustworthy companies willing to invest in some touristic projects centering on the lake behind the Karun-4 Dam, Soleymani said. Their applications are now undergoing legal procedures. Once they obtain the required permits, actual investment begins.
The investors are planning to construct the largest floating touristic complex of Iran on the lake of the Karun-4 Dam.
The governor of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari called the road construction progress satisfactory. With this road, Ardal city will come out of the dead-end, and connect to Khuzestan once again.
He appreciated the efforts of the engineers, resulting in a unique bridge. Karun-4 Bridge is 378 meters long, and 11.8 meters wide, weighing 3,875 tons, at the height of 62 meters from the lake level. The bridge deck, entirely of metal, connects the two tunnels on both sides.
In his visit to the province, President Rouhani had urged the officials to open the access road as soon as possible. He also gave the order of budget allocation to the project. A total of $18,750,000 will be allocated, a part of which is being received in order to make the project operational in a shorter time.
Along the access road, 9 tunnels are currently under construction, 7 of which have been drilled so far. The tunnels have totaled 4 km, with still 25% more to cover. As for the road fortification, there is some 35% of the process left.
Karun-4, the largest deck arch bridge in the Middle East, is 180 km southwest of Shahrekord. In deck arch bridges the deck is completely above the arch.
